Hank's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction
by Spirit9871
Summary: Hank J. Wimbleton is a murderer. Everyone can agree on that. But, who exactly was he when he was only a child? And how did he become the man he is today? Follow the story of the boy who shall change the world. Follow the legacy of Hank J. Wimbleton. [Beta Read/Edited by Sacrom574]
1. The Borne Legend

Chapter 1: The Borne Legend

* * *

She was running.

Not for her own sake, but for her child's.

A young, brunette-haired woman ran down the rainy streets of Nevada. She knew that her life was in danger and so was her baby's.

She had to give away her own boy to another person's hands. Although it crushed her to do so, she knew she had no choice.

The police couldn't help her now: it was too late. Her only option was to leave her child somewhere she knew that he would be totally safe in. That is, until he grew old enough.

Looking left and right, she pulled up her long raincoat that covered her body. She didn't know whether she was being followed or if she was in the clear. Not letting her guard down for a second, she continued to run to her child's safe-haven.

The woman looked up hopefully at a building dimly lighted up front by a light stuck on the porch.

_"Almost there."_ she thought to herself.

The woman stumbled, but picked up her pace. It was so cold outside, and her light coat wouldn't have the power to warm her this chilly night. But the pain in her heart was far aching than her numbed legs after running for what seemed like miles.

She finally stopped, the rain still battering hard on the pavement. With a small gulp, she unraveled the small bundle tightly wrapped around her arms and pressed on her chest.

A baby.

The woman felt tears stinging her face at how peaceful her child seemed, not knowing what she was forcing herself to do. Placing him slowly and carefully on the front porch, she knocked on the front door of the orphanage.

Suddenly, her child began crying loudly. The woman bit her lip, kissing the forehead of her son.

_"Be a good boy...mommy loves you...I'm sorry..."_

The woman heard footsteps from behind the door. She ran off just before it opened, covering herself with her raincoat tightly, hoping that her son would forgive her for what she had just put him through.

* * *

Hearing the knocks from the front, another woman who took care of the orphanage opened the doors. She poked her head outside and looked both ways, curious to know who had just came by at such a late hour. Before she closed the door, she heard soft crying near her feet. The caretaker looked down, her eyes widening as she saw the child wrapped in ragged cloths.

She picked him up with both arms carefully, not knowing where he had came from. With a last glance around her to see who did this, she tried comforting the child by rocking him gently, closing the doors behind her before they would both catch colds.

Little did she know though, that she was holding the child who would flip the world upside-down.

This was the legacy of that boy.

_**This was Hank's Legacy.**_

* * *

Starting Credits:

Cover: "Seeing Red" by Rhunyc

Story by: Spirit9871 and Sacrom574

Extra OC's: By rightful owners (more will follow on who made what after each OC is introduced)

In Correlation With:_** "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction"**_ by Nikolai247


	2. The Beginning of the Legacy

Chapter 2: The Beginning of the Legacy

* * *

Julia Shawnson worked hard in making sure that all the children she had under her care would be fed, clothed, bathed, educated, and, most importantly, happy. She was one of the main caretakers of the single and only orphanage Nevada had in its community because of the Sheriff's power: The Nevadan Orphanage.

She shook her head. What the heck was going on with Nevada lately? Almost two decades ago, The Agency Against Human Warfare (or, the A.A.H.W.) had been established into Nevada as a result of trying to avoid a repeat of World War Two. At first, almost everyone was into the idea of an enterprise that controlled America's military input and output, but now, things are starting to look bad. The Sheriff, who was employed for Nevada's A.A.H.W. had begun making the wrong choices. Convicting the innocent of crimes they didn't commit, putting the economical status of the community into a nose-dive to the ground, and even cutting Nevada's funds for projects to benefit the locals like schools and orphanages for his own self-gain. Worst of all, was that these agencies were wide-spread across the U.S. after Congress allowed it to happen.

But to tell the truth, everyone was way better off without the A.A.H.W. in the first place.

Julia saw two young children quarreling over a small toy car. True, the orphanage was large enough to support kids from infantry to adulthood, but it was a real pain in the ass taking care of all of them at once. Not even the other helpers that supported her into taking care of the abandoned children were enough to satisfy all their needs.

She quickly walked towards them and scolded the two for fighting.

"Hey! Stop it right now! If you don't share, then I'm taking this away from the both of you!" she warned.

The kids ended their conflict as soon as they heard her say that. Eventually, the figured out how to play with the car together on their own.

Julia sighed as she walked away. It's not that she didn't enjoy her job. It's just that sometimes, the children would get on her nerves. But still, she was a caretaker, and it was also her responsibility to keep her cool even in the worst of situations.

Julia saw the other dozens of kids running around the large orphanage, bound to get themselves hurt. She knew that by now, it was of no use. Kids were kids, and there was no changing it.

Shaking her head again, she walked towards the medicine cabinet in the kitchen that was also inhabited with more teenagers and youths screaming their lungs out. Julia pulled out a small bottle full of aspirins and placed two into her hands. She swallowed them and drowned the pills down with some water.

Wiping her mouth, she went back to work immediately by caring for more kids. It was a strangely psychotic day at the orphanage, as the children were unsettled since their weekend was almost over.

Julia glanced at her watch. It was almost 7:00. That meant she had to start serving food. Luckily, she kept a large kettle of chicken soup on top of the stove, which was more than enough to fill everyone.

"Dinner!" she yelled out to all of the frantic kids and teens.

As soon as she announced that, everyone lined up around the very large table in the dining room. Julia set up all the bowls and spoons with another co-worker of hers, Anne Laurence, while another young man somewhere in his mid-twenties, Evans Thompson, poured soup for each and every person. It wasn't much, but on such a low budget, they were at least grateful that they even had anything to eat at all.

All the orphans quickly drank their soup, some asking for seconds, while others left, full and tired. Julia grinned, knowing that most of the children who ate dinner would fall asleep almost soon afterwards, leaving the teenagers to stay awake late at night. Although she would still have to continue her job until her designated shift is over, things would quiet down. And that was good enough for her.

After watching all the kids sitting on their chairs, Julia noticed one empty seat. That was odd because all of the orphans would regularly come here on time, especially this late. Julia suddenly knew who was missing.

Hank.

Julia wasn't that surprised, to say the least. Hank was always the mysterious child who isolated himself from everyone else for some reason. Although Julia tried to persuade him into making friends, Hank always refused, rarely talking to anyone but her.

Julia walked out of the dining room and went up the stairs. She hated to admit it and knew it was wrong to pick favorites, but she was always fascinated with Hank. All her life, she had never seen the fifteen-year-old crack a joke or even bother her in any way possible. He made her life easier, but she knew that it wasn't normal for a child to be so secluded from others that way.

* * *

Finally, she reached the room where she remembered Hank was in. Julia knocked on the door.

"Hank?"

No answer. Now Julia was getting worried. Eventually, she just decided to walk in since Hank left his door unlocked.

There was barely anything in his room. It was nothing but gray walls, a bookshelf lined with a few novels, and a lone bed where he laid. It was a pretty desolate and depressing place to walk into, but Hank was never the one to have a taste in designing. In fact, he doesn't seem to have a taste for anything at all.

Julia sat down on his bed. Hank didn't leave his eyes off his book.

"Hank, is everything okay?" she asked, a bit worried.

Hank merely nodded and flipped to the next page. Julia saw what he was reading: _**The Art of War.**_ God, why can't Hank be just like all the other normal kids and play some video-games? It would make it a lot easier for Julia to communicate with him.

"You know Hank, dinner already passed." she informed.

"I know." Hank replied emotionlessly.

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"But aren't you hungry?"

"Nah. I don't feel like eating much."

Julia stared at him. She could never tell what he was thinking, and that made her feel a bit nervous, in a sense. What she did know, however, was that Hank was a prodigy at school. His grades were remarkable, and even the teachers were dumbfounded at how much progress he was making. If there was something that would take the average student in his class a month to learn and digest in his or her head, Hank would be able to do that exact same thing in a matter of minutes. Nobody could explain the strange capability Hank had, but because he was so separated from everyone else, it seemed unlikely that they would ever figure it out.

Julia ruffled her fingers through Hank's brown hair slowly. His brown pupils still scanned the words before him, not caring the least about what Julia was doing. Julia continued to do so, hardly believing that fifteen years had gone by so fast. Fifteen years, and Hank seemed so mature and grown-up. This was nothing like the Hank she first remembered, abandoned at the front door of the orphanage with no sign of his parents.

Julia shook it off, remembering what she was originally here for.

"Hank, why don't you give other people a chance and get to know them more? This is really unhealthy you know, especially for a teenager like you. You're supposed to be hanging out with friends and having a good time. Not in a dark room reading a book." Julia advised.

Hank sighed. "Julia. I'm not going to."

"Why Hank?"

"Because I'm fine the way I am. I don't need anyone else to help me through the next three years. By the time I turn eighteen, I'll be out of here faster than you can turn your head to see me walk out of the front door."

Julia looked down glumly at the bed-sheets, trying to find a response. Unfortunately, nothing came to her head.

She stood up, defeated. "If you say so Hank. I have a bowl of leftover soup for you on the counter, so feel free to take some whenever you feel like eating."

Hank nodded and flipped another page. Julia took one last glance behind her to see if there was anything he would at least tell her, but only silence filled the room.

Then, something interesting came to her mind.

"By the way Hank," she began just before walking out.

Hank finally looked up, interested at how her tone of voice changed.

"I've decided to give you an IQ test tomorrow."

Hank raised his eyebrows in suspicion. "An IQ test? What time of the day?"

"Afterschool."

Hank rolled his eyes and went back to his book. "Sounds pretty boring if you ask me."

Julia smiled. "Actually, I think it would be pretty neat if we could both see how that head of yours works from the inside. So you're going to take this test, okay?"

Hank shrugged. "Whatever."

Julia turned back around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. After a few minutes of reading, Hank smirked.

Looks like he's still got it.

Hank closed the book and placed it back onto the shelf. Then, he went back to his bed.

Little kids hid candy under their mattresses for midnight snacks. Teenagers hid Playboys and Hustlers under their own mattresses. Julia was smart enough to check every kid's bed for anything suspicious.

But Hank, however, was smarter.

So, what exactly was he hiding?

Hank lifted his pillowcase and pulled the zipper up. A stash of magazines came out.

Bingo.

Hank took out one of them and placed the rest back into the pillow, closing the zipper again. He looked at the cover.

Hank was hiding fire-arm magazines in his pillowcase this whole time. And Julia never suspected a thing.

Hank opened it up and began flipping through page after page. He knew from the start that Julia would NEVER let him hold something like this in his hands. She would think that it was "dangerous" for him, plus she couldn't risk the fact that one of the younger kids could see it.

With every page came a beautiful collection of all kinds of guns. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, snipers; you name it. Hank had collected these magazines for all the fascinating types of deadly weapons he could imagine holding.

But God...would he kill to just pull a trigger for once in his life.

Hank couldn't explain his odd fetish and didn't seem to care. Every kind of weaponry made out there had interested him, whether it was melee or fire-arm. In fact, Hank favored melee over guns, but he obviously didn't need to know the facts of melee weapons since all you have to do is smack it on someone's head to make your point.

He continued to look at the statistics for each gun, enjoying every moment of it. Maybe nobody else knew that this was the one thing he liked out of everything else in the world, but really, the magazines were his only happy places. The only thing better than that to Hank was to actually hold a gun in his hands and fire it at a target, but he doubts that will ever happen.

Hank closed the magazine and put it back in his secret spot. He looked at the clock nearby him. It was 9 at night. Although he wasn't really hungry or tired, Hank decided to get the next day over with. After all, with every day that passes, he's closer to getting out of this hell-hole.

Hank closed his eyes peacefully.

_'Maybe one day, when I can finally get the fuck out of this place, I can own a gun-shop. A nice big shop where I can test out my guns all I want, and even make a living out of it.'_

Hank grinned, attracted to the idea.

_'Yeah...that'll be nice. That'll be the day..."_

* * *

A/N: Okay, so that's your first real taste of this story. It's 2,000 words only because I couldn't continue from here since it's just the beginning. But, as the story progresses, the word-count per chapter will also rise as well.

So, why a gun-shop, you may ask? Well, the first reason's obvious: Hank likes guns, so he's going to make a shop where he sells them. But, the second reason (which some of you may not know) is that Krinkels owns a gun-shop where he lives. That's why Krinkels's knowledge of fire-arms is so wide-ranged and valid, compared to my retarded understanding of weaponry.

Anyways, Reviewers' Credit:

* * *

DodgeStreaker: Hey thanks! I also did get permission from Rhunyc himself for the cover, so I am definitely grateful for that! And remember, it's just beginning!

* * *

And that's all. I gotta start thinking on Chapter 3 and also working on this one-shot I planned a while back. If you guys love humor and Madness Combat, then you're gonna love it. Again, sorry for this chapter being under the average length I usually write, but it should go back to normal by the next chapter.

By the way, please read Nikolai247's fanfic: "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction" before it's too late and things would get confusing. His fanfic is directly linked to mine's, and you can see it under my favorite stories' section. Also, Sacrom574 and DodgeStreaker have some pretty good stuff too! DodgeStreaker has two Madness Combat fics in her archive while Sacrom574 focuses more on Fallout and Halo, so if you like any of those topics, then those are the writers you should check out!

Thank you all again for reading this chapter and this long-ass Author's Note. Your support on my previous story "Final Salvation: A Madness Combat Fanfiction" was incredible, and I'm doing my best to make this just as epic. All you guys gotta do is just show your support and maybe even check out the forum and community for "The Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution" too (links are on my profile). My blood, sweat, and tears will go into this story so don't worry; you'll love this fic!

Well...that's pretty much it. Nothing to say anymore, but thank you all! You guys are the best! I hope you enjoyed this Chapter of Hank's Legacy as well as it's prologue, so I wish you all a good night, day, afternoon, or whenever the fuck you're reading this! Chapter 3 will be up hopefully soon!

~Spirit9871


	3. Monday Madness

Chapter 3: Monday Madness

* * *

Hank woke up from the sound of kids running in their rooms. It was probably one of the biggest disadvantages of living in the orphanage: every little sound the kid in the room next to yours makes is broadcasted through the walls like an echo. So Hank has to be interrupted by a fart, gasp, giggle, or retarded laughter by some five-year-old screwing around.

Rubbing his eyes, he momentarily forgot why they were so frantic. Hank glanced at the clock next to him and sighed.

7:00 in the morning.

Looks like he had to get ready and go to that goddamn school again...

Hank put on a fresh pair of clothes and got the backpack he set by his bed ready. Some books, papers, and shit would be enough.

Zipping the top of the bag back up, he pulled out a stick of gum he kept in his pocket and began chewing on it. Of course, he didn't want his mouth to smell like the inside of a horse's ass when he got to school, but there was no way in hell he was gonna share the same bathroom with those other bastards he's forced to live with. So, gum was his last resort.

Hank slung the backpack onto himself, letting it sag down by holding it from only one end. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out of his room to the door. Julia saw Hank leaving and stepped in front of him to stop him momentarily. Hank looked at her with a bit of an annoyed yet bored look.

"Is there a problem?" Hank questioned.

Julia shook her head. "Hank, the year's just beginning, and I want you to make some friends before it's too late. September is the month where everyone is ready to get to know each other, but if you wait too long, it's going to get harder for you to do so."

Hank stared at Julia with a gaze that she couldn't see through. She blinked, and Hank had gone around her.

"Please Hank, just take my advice for once!" she yelled at him desperately.

Hank closed the door behind him and continued walking with nonchalance. Julia turned around with a sad expression on her face, not sure whether or not Hank had even heard her before he left. She suddenly began chasing a child wearing nothing but his undergarments, running around the halls.

* * *

Hank continued traveling his route to school. It was a ten to twenty minute walk, so he took his time. Hank didn't even bother turning his head to the students joking and laughing around him. They easily passed by him because of his slowed pace.

Finally making it to his destination, he looked up. The same dull sign he remembered from his first day here still hung on the front of the school. Sunset High School: an average school with average teenagers learning from average teachers.

Unfortunately for Hank, he had no choice but to walk in and get to class. Remembering his Monday schedule by heart, he sighed.

Physics.

Oh goodie. He was gonna learn how long it takes for a body to go "splat" on the ground after being pushed off a plane.

Hank went up two floors, trying to avoid the school's notorious bullies: a group of seniors. Apparently, their leader, Marvin Dayton, was harassing another smaller student for the little money he had left in his wallet. Marvin's friends shoved the poor youth around until he gave in and passed the cash to Marvin. He snatched it out of the freshman's hands and grinned to his laughing colleagues.

After watching the five of them disperse, Hank saw the freshman pick up the books he dropped. Although Hank knew he was a freshman himself here, those assholes still haven't made a move on him.

But it was torturing enough to see other people get screwed over.

Surprising even himself, Hank began walking down the stairs and helped the young man pick up his books. He stared wide-eyed at Hank, knowing that it was a rare to actually see people help each other here, especially Hank himself.

Hank picked up the last piece of paper that fell out of his notebook. The 9th grader made a small gulp, wondering why Hank would even bother wasting his time with him. He snapped out of his trance.

"Thank-!"

Hank already had his back turned from him and was walking up another flight of stairs.

"-you..." he finished.

Hank shook his head. He wasn't sure why he just did that. Was he trying to follow Julia's words?

He heard the bell ring. Looks like he would have to keep that thought for later in class.

* * *

Andrea Lyn was the proud physics teacher for this generation of freshmen as well as for the past ten years. She had to admit, her class was hard, but so was physics.

Andrea began writing equations for the class to review and refresh on, while she added newer ones for newer problems they had to solve. Each teenager in the room had an issue on the subject of his/her own. Whether it was for velocity, time, or distance; Andrea would make sure that by the time this group of students would graduate, they would know how to solve problems far beyond their level.

However, there was one student that had enrolled in her class which was different from all the other bright children she taught.

After writing down the necessary formulas, she began handing out worksheets to everyone. Finally, she reached that one student who always found a way to put her into a state of disbelief.

Hank Shawnson.

Andrea wondered exactly to what extent did Hank's knowledge stretch out to, and decided to challenge him with ridiculous questions that she would teach to her seniors. After giving him his own special work, she walked back to her desk, pretending to mark her papers to steal a couple of glances at him. Andrea expected him to miss every question; these were topics she still wouldn't teach until late March, which was months away from where they were right now.

Hank was the only person who had ever received perfect marks on all her tests in the ten years she had taught the field, and yet, he had never done anything in class or back at home. Hank was usually spacing out whenever she would speak up at the board, he would never do any of his homework, and he didn't seem focused at whatever she was saying. But how could somebody manage to pull off such unbelievable grades without practically doing any work at all? The only answer that Andrea could think of was that Hank had been studying in his free time, but she doubted it. If he was too lazy or careless in doing his schoolwork, then why would he bother studying in the first place?

Shaking her head, she began grading exams for her next class. Hank was one of those kids that nobody could understand.

* * *

Hank stared at the paper in front of him. He raised one eyebrow up, noticing that the questions were strangely challenging compared to the usual topics the teacher would talk about to her students. He turned his head to the female sitting to his right, saw her own questions, and did the same with the male sitting on his left. Both of them had the same problems while Hank was the only one in the class with this group of questions, which obviously meant something was off here.

Hank then turned his eyes to Andrea, who was staring at him with a serious look. Their pupils met for a few minutes until Hank looked back down at his paper.

_'So that's how you wanna play, huh?" _Hank thought to himself.

Hank brought the sheet closer to his face. He placed it back onto the table and began scribbling answers down. Andrea was blown away at his speed. It was as if he had already mastered what was in front of him.

Whether he was faking it or not, it would all be clear to her by the time she gets back his responses.

* * *

Forty-five minutes flew by to everyone's surprise when the bell rang. All the students were glad to get the hell out of there to their next class as they packed their supplies quickly and dashed off.

Hank stood up, handing the sheet to Andrea. She looked at what he wrote for a few seconds, but because she didn't have the time to read all of his work, all Andrea knew at the time was Hank _**definitely**_ had something on here.

The question she wanted to answer was; is Hank as smart as he seems?

Just before Hank was about to leave, she called out his name.

"Hank?"

Hank breathed out deeply. Today was full of interruptions, wasn't it?

"Yes, Ms. Lyn?"

Andrea suddenly realized she didn't know what to say. But she couldn't keep him standing there! Otherwise, she'd look like an idiot!

Andrea quickly made a statement to cover her blunder. "...I-I, just wanted to say you've been doing a good job on your tests lately, but you need to focus more in class and do the work I give you every night."

Hank blinked slowly, still not changing his blank face. He nodded and turned around. Andrea sighed in relief from the odd tension Hank put upon her.

She saw Hank abruptly stop walking just before exiting.

"See you next time Ms. Lyn." Hank said in a calm yet mysterious tone as he walked out.

Andrea turned her head and watched as probably the strangest student she ever had walk out of the door. She quickly began getting her materials ready for the next group of students waiting for her outside.

Hank stuck his hands in his pockets. He had to go through five more periods until lunch.

"God dammit..."

* * *

Hank's other classes had gone through their usual courses. He kept quiet every period, not raising his hand once for an answer or for a question. In fact, because of this, the teachers who noticed Hank's disclosed nature were a bit uneasy at his behavior. Sure, they could call upon him and make him give them an answer by force, but answers to questions on a chalkboard don't really tell a person much about a student's mindset outside the classroom.

After finishing his last class, Geometry, Hank finally made it to the cafeteria. The concept of shapes and angles annoyed him not because he didn't understand it, but because a gun-shop owner doesn't need to know all that shit in the first place.

Hank saw a lone, empty table in the middle of the lunchroom. He sat himself down and pulled out a brown paper bag. The only thing inside of it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bit crushed from his books.

He shrugged and ate it anyways. He wasn't starving, but there was no way he was going to eat the glop of slime they served in the cafeteria and called it: "lunch".

Feeling rather bored at the time, Hank rested his head on his right arm, letting his eyes wander around the room. Almost everywhere he looked, there were teenagers making smug jokes among themselves and laughing. It was funny; Hank never really did approach anyone before in the school although almost everyone there knew about him. Hank Shawnson: the brilliant freshman that nobody could compare academically to. Still, since he left everyone else alone, they did the same to him. And that's how he liked it.

Hank frowned. Hank Shawnson? What a crappy name. Somehow in his head, it didn't click, as if it wasn't meant to be a part of him. When the orphanage first found him, they had no idea what name to use. Eventually, due to their lack of creativity, they used probably one of the most cliché names in the English language: Hank. Then, since Julia was the one who found him that night, they carried her last name to him.

And thus, Hank Shawnson was born.

...But Hank didn't like it...because Julia wasn't his real mom.

He lost his train of thought when he suddenly heard a deep, masculine voice, yelling angrily from not so far away.

Hank turned his head and narrowed his eyes.

Marvin.

Hank watched in disgust as Marvin shoved a sophomore down to the ground. The tenth grader sat back up, rubbing the back of his head. Marvin grabbed his collar with both hands, making the student's fearfulness more visible.

"Listen! I already told you! I'm sorry man! I had homework of my own to deal with, so there was no way I could've done your project! Just let me finish it tonight, okay?" the sophomore begged.

Marvin began shaking him violently. "I told you, you little prick, to do this for me THREE DAYS AGO! And now, you're giving me nothing? I'm gonna bash your head in punk!"

Hank rolled his eyes. He realized that his third stick of gum was starting to lose its flavor. Hank smirked and spat it out of his mouth. He put it between his thumb and index finger.

_'Let's see how good I am at this...'_

Hank flicked his thumb forward as if he was shooting a booger. He held down his laughter as he saw his gum get stuck into Marvin's hair.

Marvin dropped the sophomore and didn't even bother watching him scamper off. His eyes widened as he realized what was stuck on him when he traced his fingers on the back of his head.

Clenching his teeth, Marvin turned to the large group of students staring at him.

**"Who the fuck just did that?"**

All the teenagers turned themselves away from him quickly. Marvin was a pretty good boxer, so if he spots someone he doesn't like, chances are, that person's arms and legs would be broken by the end of the day.

One of Marvin's friends, who saw what had happened, whispered in his ear that Hank had done the deed. Marvin turned around, the fire in his eyes fueled with hate and rage. He stomped towards where Hank was sitting. Hank looked innocently at him, playing dumb.

"What's the matter?" Hank asked.

Marvin slammed his left fist on the table loudly. Everyone except Hank jumped in their seats.

"You little fucker. How stupid do you think I am?"

Hank chuckled. "Believe me; you don't want an answer to that."

Some of the students who had heard Hank's counter-statement "ohhh'ed" in shock at how a freshman would dare make fun of Marvin like that.

Marvin's face turned redder from embarrassment and anger. He gripped Hank's shirt, just like how he tormented his previous victim. But instead of seeing fear and struggle in Hank's eyes, he saw something strange.

Hank's eyes were coal black. Not even light reflected off of them. It was as if Marvin was staring at the eyes of a corpse. Marvin couldn't even tell what the freshman was thinking, and was starting to get a bit anxious at the kid who was three years younger than him.

Realizing that he was loosening his grip, Marvin shrugged it off and clenched Hank even tighter. Hank gazed at him with a tired, bored, and empty face, making Marvin even angrier.

"I'm done screwing around, you little bitch!" Marvin shouted at his face.

Just before he was going to raise his right fist up and mash it into Hank's skull, the crowd suddenly subsided and teachers began rushing in.

"Marvin! Don't make me have to put you into detention again!" one of them yelled.

Marvin growled, dropping Hank. Now, he just lost two of his targets. Hank brushed off his shirt.

"About time you showed up..." he muttered.

Marvin glared at Hank. As he walked away and lost the attention of the teachers, he turned his head back and made the "you're-dead-meat" hand sign, where he pretended to cut his neck with his fingers.

One of the lunch teachers faced Hank. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Hank sat back down, eating the rest of his sandwich. "I'm fine." he replied coldly.

Everyone had eventually returned back to their normal spots, restoring peace and order once more in the cafeteria. Some of the students were glancing back at Hank, disbelieving how calm he was. After finishing his small snack, Hank pulled out another stick of gum and continued chewing. The bell rang shortly later.

Hank groaned. Marvin took up too much of his relaxation time. Oh well, it would be only a few more periods until he was done with the worst day of the week: Monday.

* * *

Hank walked out of the school. He was exhausted, but was still on alert in case Marvin plans on sneak-attacking him.

By the time he was on the streets, he heard a car honk its horn at him. He turned to the direction of the sound and saw Julia waving at him.

Hank casually walked to her and took shotgun. She turned to him, smiling.

"So, how did your day go?"

Hank shrugged. "It was okay I guess."

"Did you make any new friends today?"

Hank smirked in the back of his head. He clenched his fists.

"Oh yeah. I've made _**quite**_ a nice friend today." he told her.

Not understanding why Hank had put emphasis on the "quite" in his sentence, she drove back home. When they reached a stoplight, Julia pulled out a sheet of paper from her bag and handed it to Hank.

"Here." she merely said.

Hank stared at it, seeing all the problems on all the stapled pages. Christ, there were probably about a hundred of them.

"What's this?" Hank asked.

Julia looked at him with a puzzled look. "Don't you remember? This is your IQ test!"

"Huh? Didn't you say that you were going to take me somewhere for it?" Hank recalled.

Julia turned a light shade of pink. "Yeah, well, I actually think that it's a better idea for you to take this thing somewhere you feel safe and situated in."

Hank nodded. That was a good call on her part. Then, he sighed as he placed the bundle of papers into his backpack. Looks like he had more homework to do for tonight.

Hank looked outside. He rested his head on one elbow, watching the birds fly away freely in the blue sky.

As the car stopped again, something caught his eye.

A figure covered in black, staring at him from a rooftop.

Hank shifted back at the sight. He felt something get stuck in his eye and wiped it off. Hank looked back up.

It was gone.

He turned back to the front, confused at what had just happened. Julia noticed this as well.

"What's wrong?"

Hank glanced at his shoes in a daze.

"It's nothing..."

_**...or was it?**_

* * *

Back inside the school, Andrea cleared out the room of students. She was all alone grading another test she recently handed out to everyone. Then, Andrea saw a ray of light from the sun come down on a piece of paper she left on the desk.

Andrea picked it up.

Ah yes, this was Hank's "special" worksheet.

She didn't think much about it at the time. In fact, Andrea was thinking about throwing it out, since there was just no way Hank could've answered practically anything right here. Otherwise, he would've mastered physics three levels ahead of him.

Still holding the sheet, Andrea debated with herself on whether or not she should even bother spending the time to check his work. Andrea however, was a woman who didn't want to be left pondering about the unknown, and pulled out the answer sheet for Hank's problems from a drawer.

Andrea glanced down at the first problem. Most of her kids that were ready to leave the school struggled with this topic greatly. After glancing back to the answer sheet and towards Hank's response, her eyes widened.

_'No way...'_

Andrea shook her head. What was she thinking? This was a multiple-choice problem for God's sake! Anyone can guess and have a lucky shot at it!

She nodded in satisfaction.

Yes, that's all.

Just a coincidence.

The physics teacher continued to scan his assessment, but gaped as Hank answered each and every single question on the multiple-choice section correctly. Had he cheated? No, he was the only one who had those problems today, and the answers were locked away in the drawer next to her.

Andrea flipped the page again. Okay, maybe he found a pattern. But that would mean he couldn't answer the "Show-Your-Work" questions completely, right?

Wrong.

Andrea dropped the paper as she saw Hank had even explained how everything had worked out to his answers. He had used the basic formulas she gave the class and manipulated them to his advantage. They may have been different from how the answer sheet says, but nonetheless, it was still valid. This was the type of tactic she would see from her Advanced Placement class.

She picked the paper back up and quickly placed it into her pocket. The principal had to see this. Andrea turned one last time towards the window, thinking about Hank, who was starting his IQ test in Julia's car.

Hank Shawnson wasn't smart.

_**He was a genius.**_

* * *

A/N: Chapter three is done. It was 3,574 words in total, and I'm glad I'm back on track. A vague idea for this plot is forming in my head, so I will spend the next couple of hours thinking how things should play out.

There's still not a lot to broadcast, so I'll get to Reviewers' Credit:

* * *

DodgeStreaker: Thank you! I'm glad you liked Chapter 2, even though its length was too short. No worries, this story is far from over, of course, but I wanna do this quick so I can get to my other ideas.

* * *

Sacrom574: Wow man, that's real nice! Thanks to you too! I don't mind if your review is short, because it's still meaningful to me. Sorry for the lack of creativity; I just think that I should get to the story quick instead of thinking days on the title.

Also, yeah don't worry, he's coming soon, but just don't spoil it!

You have a nice day too comrade.

* * *

Done. I will release a one-shot most likely, and you guys might like it because it's definitely original and humorous, in a sense.

Remember to check out the stories I recommended to you guys! They're all in my favorite stories list, so you can easily check them out from there! Also, check out The Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution's community and forum (links on my profile). If you wanna say something about it or join, just PM me! Don't worry, I reply to all comments made to me in, at most, a matter of hours, plus I never criticize (unless you're a troll or flamer, cause dudes, that's just wrong man).

Chapter 4 is gonna come soon! I noticed most of my readers from Final Salvation dropped by here too, which makes me feel overjoyed! Thank you all who are checking out my works! You guys are still awesome!

That's all folks, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	4. Black Skies and Backstabbing Enemies

Chapter 4: Black Skies and Backstabbing Enemies

* * *

Hank didn't know where the hell he was or how he even got to this place from the start. All he could see were hundreds of tombstones around him with names carved in each and every stone tablet. The wind began making noises that sounded a lot like voices whispering in his ears.

_"Murderer..." _they all repeated.

Hank looked around him frantically. The sky was a shade of dark red and the graves seemed to have begun increasing in number with every turn he made.

"Who's saying that!? I'm not a murderer! I haven't done anything wrong!" Hank found himself shouting, as if somebody was actually listening to him. Hank suddenly heard something that sounded a lot like chewing nearby him.

The voices began chanting something differently now. _"STAY AWAY FROM CLOWNS..."_

Hank raised an eyebrow. Clowns? Why clowns?

He shifted his view to where he finally saw what was making all those munching sounds. There was a figure with orange hair and green skin eating a corpse.

Hank took a step back, feeling uneasy from the cannibal. He accidently stepped on a twig, causing whatever the hell was in front of him to quickly turn and meet him face-to-face. Hank saw it was wearing an iron slab on its face, the metal glinting ominously in the red light.

_**It looked like...like a zombiefied clown.**_

As (what Hank assumed to be a clown) stood up, the mask it wore traced down drops of blood. Hank looked behind the strangely terrifying monster and his eyes widened.

The corpse was Julia; burned and eaten in multiple parts.

Hank didn't know whether to throw up or to fight this horrid thing to the death. When he blinked, he found himself holding a long, dragon sword, and wore an outfit he didn't remember wearing; red goggles, a ninja mask, and black clothes with black combat boots.

_"FIGHT HIM!" _He suddenly heard ring in his head.

Hank shakily raised the sword up, blocking the clown's...street sign? He found himself making movements he didn't recognize as his own, defending himself from the metal pole that had the power to make a nasty crack in his skull. Hank was good, but his opponent was better.

Stumbling back and hitting a tree, Hank lost his focus and saw the clown raise its sign at him, ending it all with a powerful swing to the head. There was a sharp sting of pain, and then nothing but blackness.

Red static blurred his vision as Hank stood back up. He found himself in the same graveyard again, but this time, the clown was nowhere in sight.

And the ground was shaking.

Hank kept his balance, still confused at what was going on. He was grasping on his sword tightly and the clothes he'd never seen before in his life were still on him. A green hand popped out of the ground, followed by more and more parts of a rotten body. Hank froze.

Zombies.

They all began bursting from the dirt, each of them wearing strange headgears and armor on themselves. Some wore black glasses with suits while others wore odd masks with yellow visors. But the majority of them wore only gray clothes, stained with blood.

Hank knew that he could defend himself with the weapon he was holding, but was too immobilized in fear. His arms felt like lead when he tried to raise them, and he couldn't run either as if his legs were held down by weights.

Hank gasped as he felt a cold, green hand from the ground grab onto him. He tried jerking loose, but it had a tight grip on him. Hank felt himself getting dragged downwards to the ground like a pit of quicksand. More and more hands began pulling him, when at last, he was waist-down in the dirt.

Dropping his sword, he tried pushing himself back out, but again, to no avail. Hank took his last breathes of fresh air as only his head was still out of the soil. He saw something that looked like an angel without wings glance down at him. The angel raised his foot.

_"SUFFER..."_ the voices echoed as Hank felt his head get smashed by the angel's shoe into the ground.

Everything was silent once more as the zombies crawled back to their rightful resting spots and the cemetery began zooming into a stone tablet. A new tombstone appeared from where Hank was dragged down, with the words "Hank J. Wimbleton" carved on it. The clown suddenly popped out of nowhere in front of the grave, making a horrible screeching sound without its mask.

* * *

Hank shot up on his bed, drenched in sweat. He covered his face with his right hand, trying to calm himself down. It was true; Hank did have frequent nightmares. But none were as extreme as this one.

Suddenly, Hank remembered the pain in the dream, where he felt as if his skull was actually being bashed in. To his shock and horror, he felt the back of his head began stinging, but realized soon after that it was merely a bruise. Hank quickly concluded that he must've hit the wall as he was asleep in anxiety.

Recalling his dream, Hank was puzzled at the name on his grave. Hank J. Wimbleton? That sounded nothing like his real identity, except for his first name, which must mean that it's fake. Although Hank liked the ring to it, he still knew it wasn't him.

Hank looked down and found a stack of papers in his hands. He immediately recognized them as the IQ test Julia had given him. Yes, it made sense now. After Hank had finished his homework, he spent all night finishing this packet and fell asleep right when he was done. It was a funny test; the more questions he answered, the more challenging things became. But it was nothing Hank couldn't handle.

Hank looked outside, noticing that it was still pitch dark even though the clock next to him said it was 7:12.

_'Huh, that's strange...usually it would be somewhat bright in the morning, especially during fall.' _Hank thought to himself.

Shrugging it off, he packed his bags and walked downstairs, ignoring the normal rush of kids around the orphanage. As he was about to make the final turn out the door, he saw Julia was staring out of the window. It seemed as though she was disturbed about the sudden change of climate as well.

Hank walked up to Julia, surprised at her odd behavior.

"It's just like he said...they really were going to do it..." she spoke quietly to herself, not realizing that Hank had overheard her.

"Julia?"

Julia jumped a few inches in the air. She turned to Hank and exhaled in relief.

"Hank...please don't scare me like that..." she told him.

Hank stared at her and narrowed his eyes. "It looks like there's something bothering you lately."

Julia faced the window again and shook her head. "It's fine. Really Hank, you don't have to worry. I just don't like dark, cloudy days, that's all. You should get going to school."

Hank stood there, taking in the answer she gave him. It still didn't explain why Julia was talking to herself, but it was better if he left it that way. He didn't need any more mysteries plaguing him after his strange dream.

After a few minutes of dead silence, Hank handed her the IQ test she gave him the day before. Julia was shocked.

"Y-you finished all this in one night!?" she stuttered.

Hank nodded. "Do whatever you want with it. See if I care."

Before she could reply, Hank turned away from her and walked out of the front door to his normal route to school. Julia sighed at the secret she kept away from Hank.

He still wasn't ready to hear the whole truth just yet.

* * *

Hank walked down the street, looking up at the sky. The clouds were still strangely dark, as if a storm was brewing. But the news said that there was no chance of precipitation of any sort today, leaving scientists all over the world baffled at the strange phenomenon in Nevada.

The darkness seemed to have been affecting the others around Hank as well. Instead of the usual bustling and vivid students running to school, everyone was in a depressed or solemn mood now. In fact, the quiet was so unsettling that Hank felt a bit nervous.

Hank walked into his school again, checking his schedule. It was the same classes, only randomized in a different order. Hank went into the room where he would take geometry, barely paying attention to the teacher up front. He suddenly heard whispering behind him.

_"Did you see how dark it was outside?"_ one boy whispered to the other.

_"Yeah, and it was damn cold too. Feels like winter."_ his friend replied.

_"Winter in September? What the fuck?"_

_ "I don't know man. God's probably just screwing around with us."_

_ "Pfft, yeah right. I heard that the Sheriff caused this."_

_ "What? No way."_

_ "Uh, yes way. You know the A.A.H.W.'s been causing trouble ever since they came here to Nevada!"_

_ "Dude, that was almost fifty years ago. And nothing like this ever happened since then, so why the hell do you think the Sheriff has something to do with it?"_

_ "I don't know. It's a rumor, but do you have any other excuses?"_

_ "Well, no, but I'm definitely sure this is just something natural. Oh come on bro, don't look at me like that, you know damn well it's true. Stop letting these fucking superstitions get to your head. Rumors are rumors."_

_ "Still..."_

"Hey!" the male teacher at the blackboard yelled out to the two of them. "No talking in my class!"

"Sorry sir..." they both mumbled.

Hank kept his head on his desk. The Sheriff caused this? But how? That other kid must be right. It's just a rumor and nothing else.

_**It's just like he said...they really were going to do it...**_

That line began pestering Hank. Something tells him that Julia's words and the conversation he just heard were linked.

And that meant Julia was hiding something from him.

* * *

Hank walked out of the school building. Time had flew by way too fast today. In fact, Hank remembered that during history class, he had looked up at the clock reading 12:47, and in the next second, it was 1:28. When Hank rubbed his eyes, the clock had returned back to its original time, but he was sure that he hadn't imagined things. It was as if reality had begun jumping back and forth as he sat down in class.

Pulling his book-bag up higher on his shoulder, Hank realized that none of the birds were chirping and he was all alone on the street. The sky was still a gloomy black and things weren't getting any better. Just then, Hank heard footsteps.

Running footsteps.

_And __**a lot**__ of them._

Hank didn't need to turn around to know who was chasing after him. He picked up his own pace and broke into a sprint.

Marvin and his gang were going to pound him into a pancake.

Hank continued to dash off to a location he thought he would be safe in. There was no way he would go straight back to the orphanage with these morons; they would surely use it against him if they found out he was an abandoned child. So, there was one other option left.

The park.

With the trees covering him in the shade, and not to mention on such a dark day, Hank could evade the group of twelfth graders and find another way home from there. He grunted as his backpack smacked his spine over and over again. All these heavy books were slowing him down.

Hank made a turn to the right. The park was only a mile away, so he was sure he could make it. Marvin saw Hank's swerve and took the lead of his pack.

"Get him!" he ordered his other friends as they chased down their prey. Hank was surprisingly fast. These were the school jocks for God's sake, and he was outrunning them like they were nothing.

Hank felt himself slow down, his stamina decreasing. He turned back, realizing that the bullies were catching up to him. Desperately looking around him, Hank saw a fire escape up high on a building. He jumped as high as he could, grabbing onto the red rusty ladder, and pulled himself up. Then, Hank began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, showing no fear at the fact that he could break his legs or even die if he fell. Marvin gritted his teeth.

"Son of a bitch..." he muttered. Then, he turned to his group.

"Run to the end of the street over there! We can ambush this fucker since he doesn't have anywhere to go! I'll climb up and corner him!" he ordered.

The four others nodded and ran to their designated spots while Marvin climbed up the ladder to the roof. He chased after Hank from up high, mimicking Hank's leaps over each roof.

Suddenly, he faltered and lost his momentum. Marvin gasped as he nearly fell to his death until he grabbed onto the edge of the roof. He tried pulling himself up, but his grip wasn't strong enough.

Having no other idea on what to do, he called out Hank's name.

"Hank! Help me!" he begged.

Hank stopped his running and turned around, seeing Marvin about to fall to his doom. Not being sure what to do at that moment, Hank stood there, turning his head to his front and back for an answer.

"Hank!"

Hank sighed, knowing that he had to save Marvin's life, regardless of what he did to him.

"Hang on Marvin!" Hank yelled back to him. Hank ran as fast as he could over the buildings to Marvin's location. After finally reaching him, he grabbed Marvin's arm just as he lost his grip and was about to fall.

Hank pulled up his enemy's arm with both hands and all his might. The two of them began breathing heavily from adrenaline and exhaustion.

"Thank you..." Marvin told Hank.

Hank closed his eyes, sitting back. Then, they shot back open when he felt two large, strong hands clench his throat tightly.

**"...for giving me the chance to screw you over, you little dumbass!"** Marvin finished.

Hank began gasping for air, making choking noises as his feet left the ground. Marvin lifted Hank a few inches in the air, suffocating him.

"You...you bastard...I save your life and this is how you repay me...?" Hank forced out.

Marvin grinned. "Yep. Sorry, there is no such thing as 'getting even' in my books."

Hank grabbed at Marvin's hand, trying to pry himself out. But Marvin was physically superior to him, and his attempts were futile. Hank felt his vision blur and his lungs ready to collapse. Was Marvin actually thinking about choking him to death?

Not wanting to find the answer, Hank formed his right hand into a peace sign and jabbed both of Marvin's eyes. Marvin roared in pain and rage, letting go of Hank and clutching his sore face. Hank took this opportunity to make an escape as he caught his breath. Just before he was about to jump off the edge of the building, he turned back to Marvin.

"By the way,"

Marvin looked back at Hank with burning eyes.

"I like your new haircut." Hank commented, at where Marvin purposely cut his hair to get rid of the gum Hank stuck onto him.

Marvin growled, running at Hank to grab him by the neck again. Hank smirked, jumping off the side of the building, leaving Marvin gaping.

Marvin peered over the edge to see Hank landing on the air conditioners stuck in the windows of the building. He clenched his fists when he saw the freshman safely make it to the ground and his colleagues not realizing a thing.

Putting both hands near his mouth, he cried; "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!? HE'S OVER THERE!"

The four other students heard their leader and turned to see that they had missed Hank (who was already making his way to the park nearby). They chased after him as soon as they broke out of their shocked trances, but couldn't catch on to his pace.

Hank went up the hill of the park leading to the forest preserved with trees. After running deep enough, he slumped back behind a tree, catching his breath. Marvin's suffocation session didn't help Hank, and he had no choice but to stop and pray for the best.

Soon after Hank had chosen his hiding spot, he heard footsteps crushing leaves nearby.

"Where is he!?" a voice who Hank recognized as Marvin's yelled out. Marvin was only a few feet away, so if he just walked a few more steps up, Hank was doomed.

Marvin began looking around him desperately. After almost 5 minutes of scavenging, one of Marvin's henchmen sighed.

"Marvin, it's getting late. Let's go home. Hank's probably gone by now." he reasoned.

Marvin screamed at the top of his lungs and kicked a tree with fierce strength. He turned back to his group, angered by their failure.

"You fucking blew it! Unbelievable!" Marvin yelled storming away from Hank and the others. The four students followed Marvin gloomily, knowing that it would take a while until he would pass this opportunity up.

Hank sat there for ten minutes, listening to the sound of feet die down as the group walked away. He quickly glanced behind him, making sure that everyone was gone. Hank breathed out in relief and exhaustion. Just like one of those buffoons said, it was getting late, and they had to get going.

Hank stood up, brushing dirt off the back of his pants. Julia won't be too happy to see him all sweaty and dirty coming from school.

Walking away, Hank sighed. Marvin was getting more aggressive with every passing minute, and even nearly killed himself just to get Hank. Hank kept his hands in his pockets, completely oblivious that two men wearing all black hid behind trees away from him, watching his every move.

One man with dark grey hair, yellow eyes (of an ATP visor), a grey trenchcoat over a white T-shirt with black pants attached with straps, and black boots, turned to his partner wearing a ninja mask, a trenchcoat on top of black clothing, black combat boots, and blue glasses.

"_**It seems as though the child has gotten himself into quite a lot of trouble.**_" the first man told the second through a mobile device. His mouth was bolted shut and hidden underneath a white scarf, so his only method of communication was through technology.

The second man chuckled as he read the message on his phone.

"Indeed, he has. But you have to admit, those were some pretty impressive maneuvers he pulled off today." he spoke, with a visible Russian accent.

The first man nodded, then began typing something else. The second man got the message as soon as the first was done.

"_**Why are The Higher Powers so interested in retrieving that boy?**_" it read.

The second man shrugged. "I don't honestly know, but whatever it is he has, they must need badly. We've never recruited an agent at such a young age before."

More typing.

_**"I don't seem to understand what is with the fascination over Hank lately. Even the A.A.H.W. wants their hands on him. Speaking of which, it also looks like that fool Sheriff had just activated a small part of the Improbability Drive, hasn't he?"**_

The second man frowned. "You're right about that Niner. The Sheriff doesn't seem to realize the large disposal of power in his hands. And the Auditor seems to be getting quite outgoing nowadays. Just like the Higher Powers, he must've realized the importance of that young man."

The man, who was Niner, continued to type on.

_**"Rumor has it that the A.A.H.W. has begun creating a new type of agents lately. I believe they named them '1337s' or 'leets' as they are pronounced."**_

Niner's comrade narrowed his eyes. "That is very disturbing news indeed. It seems as though the duo we've sent to infiltrate the A.A.H.W.'s main factories have failed. They've been missing for weeks now, and The Higher Powers can no longer sense their presence on this planet."

Another message popped up on the second man's phone as he was distracted by talking. He glanced down at it.

_**"...I hear you chewing...are you actually eating a meal at a time like this?"**_

The second man smiled, facing Niner. Niner was an expressionless man who could never be seen through by anyone. "You can always have chicken, regardless of whatever situation you're in." he replied happily, taking another bite off the chicken leg he kept at his side.

Niner shook his head and began typing another sentence.

_**"You and your fetish with chicken..."**_

The man chuckled. "It's not like you seem to be attracted to anything anyways."

Niner stared at him, but the second man could somehow feel as if he would've smirked if his jaw wasn't bolted.

_**"I like a lot of things. But you will never see me say or do anything about them."**_ he texted.

The second man rolled his eyes, throwing away the bony remains of the leg he just finished. Niner then continued to message him.

_**"It seems as though it's getting late. This was a satisfying conversation we had. But don't think that I've forgotten about our deal, Mikhail."**_

Mikhail, who was the second man, nodded. "Of course."

Mikhail gave Niner a large sum of cash by hand. After counting the bills in his hand and seeing everything was in order, Niner pocketed all the money.

"Are you sure you still don't want to join the Anti-A.A.H.W.? The Higher Powers are very interested in recruiting a great informer like Corey T. Niner, and you could gain quite a fortune by doing so." Mikhail offered.

Niner shook his head slowly, using his phone again.

_**"Tell them that I'm not interested, and will most likely never be. I must make my leave now. Good luck with that young man of yours. If he's as crucial as everyone says he is, then you better watch his ass."**_

Mikhail sighed as Niner turned and walked away. "Goodbye comrade."

Niner waved behind him silently as he continued to walk to his next destination. Mikhail turned back to see Hank, who was already gone. He felt the intercom in his ear begin to ring.

[**"AGENT 574, RETURN TO BASE IMMEDIATELY. THE HIGHER POWERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU."**]

Mikhail pressed on the intercom to respond. "Understood."

Mikhail looked back up to the distance, where Hank had already gone.

"I'll be back." he said, as if Hank had heard him. Mikhail walked back to HQ, where he would report his findings.

Hank Shawnson has become a key target.

* * *

A/N: And thus, is the end of Chapter 4! I'm sorry this took so long, because I was a bit busy with homework and the two-shot I just made called: "Babysitting Damion: A Madness Combat Fanfiction". If you haven't already seen it yet, then I suggest you should, because I spent a lot of time on it to make sure you'll all laugh and enjoy it!

You'll notice that I've introduced two new OC's here after the dramatic chase scene between Hank and that gang of assholes. Well, those aren't mine. I'll make a new segment at the end of every chapter with OC's donated to me by every user:

* * *

**OC Credits**:

**Mikhail/Agent 574**: by Sacrom574

**Corey T. Niner**: by DodgeStreaker

* * *

And that's all. The other OC's are by me, which is why they aren't stated above. Now then, back to the classics:

* * *

**Reviewer's Credits:**

DodgeStreaker: Hell yeah Hank's smart! And of course he has good aim! If you like guns, then you've gotta know how to flick gum and boogers at least (as disgusting as it sounds). Also, sorry for the slow updates. School sucks balls...

And thanks for the OC! I described him the best I could, like you said, and I hope this was what you wanted!

* * *

Sacrom574: XD, you pointed out all the funny parts that I loved best! And I'm glad you thought it was humorous, because Chapter 3 served as comedy relief and as a good continuation for the plot!

I hope you enjoyed Mikhail's appearance, as well as the Terminator reference I used! Thanks go to your OC too! He helped make this chapter epic along with Corey!

* * *

Credits over. So sorry for such a late update! I will do my best from now on to catch up with writing along with schoolwork! So don't worry bros! Totally going to update regularly again! All you guys gotta do is continue to show your support!

Also, there is something important I want to say. I know most of you guys had read  
Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction" by Nikolai247 only to see only one chapter written. Nikolai has gotten pneumonia, which may have caused this incredible delay, and trust me, he's not being lazy. I've tried contacting him two weeks ago, and he still hasn't replied back since, which means either he's dead or something happened which may have stopped his writing. I honestly don't believe that he stopped writing though; Nikolai doesn't seem like a type of person who would give up easily. Just keep reading on here, and for now, we'll patiently wait for him.

So Nikolai, if you're reading this, then please PM me to at least show that you're alive! If you can't finish your story, then just say so! I don't know why you've vanished into thin air, but at least don't give the impression that you're dead!

* * *

Well, that's all folks. I've said all I must and can, so I really have no idea where to go on from here. Thank you all for your continued show of support! Even after completion, "Final Salvation" has still been gaining views, and hit the 2,000 mark! Even "Babysitting Damion" has quickly received recognition too! Best of all, "Hank's Legacy" is at 90 views, which makes me very pleased that people appreciate my works!

Remember you guys, that I'm still not retired until I say so, and that will be a long while off! I am doing my best to keep up this story, so please, don't give up just yet! This story will be as great as Final Salvation, I promise, along with many more cool ideas to come!

See you all later!

~Spirit9871


	5. First Contact

Chapter 5: First Contact

* * *

Hank pulled out the keys to the orphanage. Everyone over the age of twelve who lived in the orphanage were allowed to have their own spare set of keys, since the caretakers knew that teenagers do have a tendency to hang out after school with their friends.

Hank sighed as he entered the building. It was five-o-clock, which meant that he had spent an extra two hours outside from when he was supposed to come home. That is, if Hank actually did consider this his home instead of a waiting room.

Julia heard the front door open and slam shut. She walked up to Hank, wondering why he was so late compared to his usual time of arrival. Sure, most kids his age liked to stay outside for a while longer before they would return, but Julia was smart enough to know that Hank was socially isolated from everyone else.

Julia waited for Hank to pull of his shoes. It was a health regulation the orphanage set; for all their orphans to walk around either barefoot or with socks. After all, with all the kids they have to take care of, chances are, some stupid fool is bound to step on some dog shit and carry it home with them.

"Where have you been?" Julia questioned with irritation and worry in her voice. She crossed her arms to show she was serious.

He shrugged. "I hung out with my 'friends' today, and had 'fun'."

Hank tried to go around Julia until she stepped in front of him. Hank sighed.

"You know, I'm not _**that**_ dumb to believe your lie, right?" Julia informed him.

Hank put his hands in his pockets and leaned on the wall next to him. "Who said I thought you were dumb?"

"That's not the point Hank! I just want to know why you came home so late in the afternoon!"

Julia's shouting had begun attracting the attention of the other orphans behind her. Hank frowned. He didn't want to deal with her or any of the other shit-heads he's forced to live with.

"Listen, just let me deal with my own problems, and you can deal with your own, okay?" Hank told her calmly.

"But Hank, it's my responsibility as your guardian to look after you! You can't expect me to just sit around, waiting for something to happen!"

Hank lightly pushed her away, and walked up the stairs. Just before he was able to go up the third step, he felt Julia's hand grab on to his right arm.

"I'm not letting you leave me unless you tell me what's going on right here and right now." she firmly stated.

Hank turned back to Julia with the same expressionless face he always used on her. "I don't know, you ask me? It feels like winter in September and you seem to have a secret to yourself about it."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "What do you-"

"You damn well know what I mean. _'It's just like he said...they really were going to do it'_; you said that early this morning and decided to hide what it really meant from me, right?" Hank shot back at her.

Julia's face turned pale with recognition. Hank had heard her say that?

"Hank...I-"

"Julia, you have your own secrets and I have mine; let's leave it at that. Simple. When I turn eighteen, you don't ever have to worry about me ever again." Hank interrupted once more.

Hank jerked himself out of her grip, turned around, and went up the stairs. Julia merely stared at him, speechless. She knew she had to say something; she had to take care of him.

"Hank Shawnson! I am your guardian and caretaker, and under my wing, you will-"

"Listen? To who? Somebody who plays pretend and makes me _**think**_ that they care about me? You're not my mother Julia. And you never will be. All I am to you is your _**job**_. As long as I'm happy, you still get paid. So let's stop bullshitting and get these next two to three years over with." Hank finished, walking back to his room. Julia made a small gulp to herself. She had never yelled at Hank before, not to mention, heard him curse in her presence.

Julia sighed. "I do care about you Hank. Even if I'm not your mother I still love you as a son..." she whispered to herself.

* * *

Hank closed the door behind him and threw his backpack across the room. Then, he went to his bed and stared at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. Hank narrowed his eyes.

_'Why the fuck am I an orphan? Did I do something wrong when I was young?'_ he thought to himself.

Hank turned himself around and covered his face in his pillow. Hearing the crunch of his gun magazines inside the pillow he closed his eyes.

When was he meant to achieve happiness?

* * *

Meanwhile, back downstairs, Julia sat down on a wooden chair nearby her, sighing. Her fellow co-worker, Evan, came up to her.

"Jeez. I've never seen Hank like that before. What's wrong with him?" he asked.

Julia stared at her feet, the sadness clear in her eyes. Then, to Evan's surprise, she smiled.

"He's growing up, Evan. Hank's right; he has only two to three years left until he can leave..." she said quietly to him. Julia covered her face with both hands, her eyes beginning to moisten. Evan rubbed her back slowly, trying to comfort her.

"You really care about that kid, don't you?"

Julia nodded. "Time flies so fast...I remember the names of each and every person that came here and left. I just hope that Hank finally does see the good side of life one day."

Evan grinned. "I'm sure he will Julia. I'm sure he will."

* * *

The next few days for Hank have been exceptionally boring. The skies had turned back to their normal colors and Hank had successfully avoided all contact with Marvin. It seemed as though life had suddenly become so much more repetitive to Hank, that it wasn't even interesting anymore.

However, Hank always had that strange feeling he was being watched.

Every time Hank would be walking down the street, he would find himself looking behind him, and scanning his environment. Hank had no idea why his instincts had suddenly began kicking in, but never had he felt this uneasy and uncomfortable outdoors. Hank knew that somebody was following him, in fact, he was almost certain. He just never had the chance to at least see who his stalker was.

Until now.

On Friday, as Hank had returned back from school early due to a half-day, he noticed that something was off about his room. Some of his books were shuffled, the window was left open, and even his gun magazines were on the bed (which he was sure he would NEVER do regardless of how careless or tired he was).

Hank began frantically looking around for any clues that could show who or what had just ransacked through his stuff. After checking under his bed, he found something on the floor. Hank pulled it out and stared at it, puzzled.

A piece of chicken?

Hank gritted his teeth. He never brought food up into his room, knowing that roaches could follow the scent. Hank threw the crumb away in a little wastebasket he kept near his bed and decided to keep searching. When he made it to his bookshelf, he noticed something shining between two of his novels. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.

A miniature camera almost the size of a pea.

Somebody was spying on him all this time!

Hank pulled out the device, raising his foot to smash it.

_"I cannot allow you to do that, Hank Shawnson."_

Hank stopped himself in mid-air, looking around, bewildered.

"Who the hell just said that?"

A man wearing all black with blue glasses closed the door behind him. He hid behind the door as Hank had opened it all this time, not expecting Hank's early return.

This man was no other than Mikhail.

Hank placed the small camera on his desk. "How the fuck did you manage to get into my room!?"

Mikhail chuckled. "Oh please. You think a window can stop me? How humorous."

Hank took a step back. "Why do you know my name? And why are you following me?"

Mikhail grinned. "Clever boy. You seemed to have seen through my cover. It doesn't matter anyways. I cannot answer either of your questions, for that source of knowledge is beyond your reach."

Hank clenched his fists. "Beyond my reach? What kind of stupid joke is that?"

Mikhail shook his head. "I assure you, Hank, that this is no joke. Let's just say that it would be safer for the both of us if you didn't know," Mikhail took of his glasses. "but mostly for your sake."

As Mikhail put on his glasses, Hank sent another retort back at him.

"You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go and report you to the authorities for trespassing and wrecking my stuff, you bastard."

Mikhail laughed. "Report me? By the time you go down stairs and run off to The Sheriff, I'll already be long gone from Nevada. And do you really think that they'll take the word of a 15-year-old saying a ninja had just broken into his room?"

Now Hank was angry. He hated it when people treated him as less of a man only because of his age. Letting his emotions get to him, Hank moved his right fist back and aimed it straight at Mikhail's face.

But to Hank's shock, he found his hand stuck in Mikhail's left palm. Mikhail frowned.

**"Don't do that."** he told Hank as he pushed him a few inches back and smacked him somewhere near the neck. Hank felt his body suddenly go numb as he hit the floor.

Mikhail went down on one knee and began whispering in Hank's ear.

"In due time Hank, shall you see the truth and join us..."

Then, blackness consumed him.

* * *

Hank woke up, finding himself in his bed with his covers over him. He pushed them off himself and looked around. Everything around him was clean and organized unlike how he remembered it from when he met that strange man.

Hank looked down at the wastebasket near him, trying to confirm his suspicions. He did throw a small piece of food in here, so if he found it, then that would mean it wasn't actually a dream.

Hank shuffled through all the trash, looking for that one chicken piece. After five minutes of scavenging, Hank couldn't believe it.

There were only papers.

Hank slowly dropped the wastebasket. He then ran to the bookshelf and saw the two novels where the camera was supposed to be. But that was gone too.

Finally, Hank checked his magazines. All of them were inside his pillowcase, even in the proper order he would always put them in. Plus, the window was closed and there were no traces of an outside presence.

Hank shook his head. No. He wasn't hallucinating. It's either somebody's really fucking with him, or he did go insane. And how come he found himself in his bed? He's definitely sure he didn't fall asleep all of a sudden and sleepwalked himself all the way to his bed.

Hank ran out of his room and began dashing down the stairs. Julia saw this and turned around.

"Where are you going Ha-?"

As a response, Hank ignored her and ran out of the front door. Julia watched him run off through the window, wondering what has gotten into that boy lately.

* * *

"I already told you! Some guy in black clothes and blue glasses broke into my house and knocked me out!" Hank yelled at The Sheriff, who was sitting between his two grunts and Jebus.

The Sheriff, who was trying his best to keep a straight face, repeated Hank's outburst. "So...you're saying that a ninja had trespassed into the local Nevadan orphanage and took you out...uh..."

The Sheriff looked down at the piece of paper where Hank signed his name. "...Hank Shawnson?"

"YES! That's exactly what I mean!" Hank hollered out.

The Sheriff raised his hands up, a bit taken back by Hank's yelling. "Okay, okay, fine, I got it."

After a few more seconds of staring, The Sheriff suddenly started laughing, which annoyed Hank greatly.

"...I'm sorry partner...but a ninja? Man, you've got to try better than that to make me waste my time with you!"

Hank gritted his teeth and stood up, slamming his fist on the table. "You know what? Fine! I don't give a fuck if you don't believe me! Serves me right for trying to get my answers from someone like **YOU.**"

Hank turned away and stormed out of the station as The Sheriff's mood had changed into pure anger.

"Hey! One more word like that from you, and you're in big trouble, you heard me!?" The Sheriff screamed.

Hank stopped just before leaving. He shifted his head a little to the right.

"Pfft. Like you don't know it's true?" Hank said as he left.

The Sheriff flared his teeth and jumped out of his seat. Jebus put his hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down into his chair.

"Calm down sir. Just because he said that doesn't mean anything." The Savior assured him.

The Sheriff smacked his fist in the wall behind him. "I hate this fucking town so much. Why the hell did The Auditor put me here out of all the places in the world?"

Jebus shook his head. "Let's put that aside for now sir. Don't you think that teenager's description of the man is quite troubling?"

The Sheriff crossed his arms. "Who cares? He's just a fifteen-year-old. That boy was probably thinking up stuff that never really happened."

"However," Jebus continued from his last point, "his portrayal of the trespasser sounded extremely like a certain somebody we know."

The Sheriff narrowed his eyes. "You're referring to _**the **_Agent 574?"

"Correct." Jebus confirmed.

The Sheriff sighed. "Think of what you're saying Jebus. The chances of 574 actually bothering a teenager is practically zero."

"But The Auditor did tell us to stay on high alert for a certain young man in Nevada. Whoever he is holds the key to the future of the A.A.H.W., and to the future of **us**."

The Sheriff laughed. "If that kid really is the one who The Higher Powers are looking for, then we'll blast him out of the sky before he even has the chance to pull his first trigger. After all," The Sheriff pulled out a screen, "with this baby, nobody's gonna mess with me, or the A.A.H.W.!"

Jebus frowned. "Sheriff, do not tamper with the Improbability Drive so much. Alva Valence and I have created that device, knowing it has the strength to change the fabrics of space and time themselves. Even though The Auditor has rewarded you with such a large input of power does not mean you have the authority to play with it like a toy."

The Sheriff glared at Jebus. "As long as you're working for me, then you ain't gonna tell me what I should and SHOULDN'T do. I'm The Sheriff around these parts, and that's final!"

Jebus narrowed his eyes at the mortal before him. He wanted to summon his binary sword and slice his head off just for demeaning him like that, but The Auditor would surely not allow it.

Jebus turned away from The Sheriff who was laughing at his foolishness. "I have to go take a short walk." he simply told The Sheriff before leaving. Jebus clenched his teeth tightly. Trying to be the advisor of The Sheriff was like trying to be the teacher of a young child. Jebus calmed down.

_'One day Auditor, if you keep pushing my buttons like this, one day I will become the end of you and your empire, you fucking bastard.'_ he thought to himself.

* * *

A/N: And so, ends Chapter 5. Fuck, I'm so sorry this is so short and this took a while to update! I'm stuck in a hole right now, and I want to just skip this boring Hank + Normal Lifestyle section of this story! That will most likely mean I will make frequent jumps in the plot to make things more interesting. After all, who wants to hear Hank just going to school, coming back home, doing homework, and sleeping? That's BULLSHIT.

Anyways, OC credits.

* * *

OC Credits:

**Mikhail/Agent 574**: by Sacrom574

* * *

...and Reviewer's Credits!

* * *

Reviewer's Credits:

DodgeStreaker: Hellz yeah he madez some moneyz! Corey sounded like a badass so he gets some cash just for existing! Also, I'm glad you thought Mikhail was pretty awesome too! Sacrom did a great job portraying his character that it would be a sin if I screwed up on his personality!

And don't worry, I will update A.S.A.P.!

* * *

Sacrom574: I'm happy you thought the ending was pretty funny! I wanted it to be humorous, yet epic at the same time, so it's pretty neat that I can see you liking it!

Not to worry comrade, when your time comes to write alongside me, I will inform you of it. I am also anticipating your Chapter 4 too! Just like Dodge, you have some pretty cool stories man!

* * *

Credits over. Remember, reviews are love, so show your support by writing down your thoughts, and I promise to get to them and put you on the next R.C.'s (Reviewer's Credits)!

That's pretty much it. Still waiting for some sign of life from Nikolai, but I hope he gets back to work soon! This fic was dedicated a lot to him and to all you guys!

Sorry for this chapter being kinda lame. I will do my best to make it up in the next few chapters, but bear with me. This will get good! I swear!

Time to upload this baby! See you guys later and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	6. The Declined Negotiation

Chapter 6: The Declined Negotiation

* * *

He never thought it would come to this.

He never thought that the goddamn police would be able to finally catch up with him.

A man in a black trenchcoat over a white shirt and black shoes with ripped jeans made a sharp right turn down the street. Stumbling from his speed, he regained his balance and continued to run. It looks like twenty years worth of drug dealing and murder had begun backfiring on him.

Hearing footsteps and sirens behind him, he did his best to pick up his pace. Almost six men were hunting him down and he felt his legs beginning to ache. He had been running for what he believed was two hours non-stop, and the heat wasn't cooling down one bit. In fact, it was as if with every street he passed, the pressure would get to him more and more. He had to find someplace to hide or run through otherwise he'd collapse from exhaustion.

The man gritted his teeth. That motherfucker James was a spy this whole time. He had trusted him with a large amount of cocaine and after almost three months of negotiating, James had suddenly turned the tables against him. The bastard had recorded all of their conversations and even snitched on the drug leader's location to the authorities.

Making another turn, he heard some shouting behind him from one of the officers:

"STOP! YOU'RE SURROUNDED!"

The fugitive noticed that there was a dark alley next to him. He ran through, not being able to see what was at the end. When he finally did see where he had led himself to, his heart sank.

A dead-end.

Great. Just fucking great…

As the wall in front of him stopped his running momentarily, the stomping of running feet and the flare of the sirens behind him grew louder and closer. His whole drug dealing gang was gone; the men in blue had already taken them down. As the leader, the man was able to escape first and get a head-start, but it seems as though in the end, it was meaningless. Serves him right for running around in Dead Nevada like this; the slums around here served as a giant maze that practically nobody could get through without getting lost.

Turning around, he saw the first officer meet eyes with his. One look at his facial expression already told the criminal that the police were done fucking around after so long.

The policeman pulled out his pistol, aiming it at his eluder. Everyone in the police force knew that the man they were pursuing was not to be taken lightly of. He was wanted for the murders of other criminals that fucked with him along with the killings of policemen who had attempted to take him down.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS RAISED AND GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!" he ordered harshly. The man began desperately looking around him. There had to be a way out; there always was. Suddenly, he saw what he was looking for.

A locked door.

The man knew that he obviously couldn't get in without the key, but a bullet from his firearm should do the trick. He pulled out his Browning HP and fired at the lock, causing the officers whom were closing in to take cover. To his luck, they thought he had retaliated against them.

Push-kicking the door open, he burst in, evading the spray of bullets behind him. Then, after shutting the opening, he jammed the doorknob by putting a chair underneath it. It would at least buy him a few seconds of time.

The man looked around. Apparently, he had trapped himself into a small shop, and the only way out other than the backdoor was the front. Taking a large inhale of air, he got himself ready to make a run for it. The door was starting to break loose behind him, so it was now or never.

He ran as fast as he could, being light on his feet. Although he didn't know exactly what was outside waiting for him since the shades were closed down on the windows, the man knew that he could slip out from detection and hide in the shadows.

Unfortunately, it seems as though his fate was sealed.

The second he opened the door, instead of meeting darkness underneath the dim illumination of the moon and stars as he expected, he covered his eyes from the blaring lights that nearly melted his eyeballs. When he had regained his vision after all the blurring, his eyes widened.

"Christ…" he muttered.

Five squad cars lined up in an arc in front of him to block any chance for escape. There were men scattered all around him with guns aiming at his skull from almost every possible angle you could imagine. It seems as though that officer from earlier really was telling the truth; he was surrounded.

Staggering, the felon turned around to try and return back outside from the other way he just came from, but before he could even take one step in the other direction, that same officer he locked eyes with earlier had his weapon raised right at his forehead.

The man took a step back, not expecting the sudden surprise from behind him. He dropped his weapon, raised his hands, and chuckled.

_'Crap…looks like I'm done for too. Ah well…twenty nice long years was a good run.'_ he told himself.

As he thought this to himself, the police officer in front of him frowned and clenched the gun in his hands tightly. This was the son of a bitch who had killed so many of his men, and after all these years, here he was…_laughing?_ It's as if he treated them all as a joke…like everyone he tortured and killed was part of a video game.

The officer calmed himself down. He was in his line of duty, regardless of the fact that he was in front of the cold-hearted killer that had made so many people's lives miserable. Pulling out his cuffs from his left hand and using his right to aim his gun at the law-breaker, he pushed the fugitive down, slapped the metal entrapments on his wrists, and yanked him viciously back up. He pulled him back, whispering in an ominous tone:

"Twenty long years, and we finally got you, you fucking mistake from Hell."

The man smirked. "It's about time. You guys are pretty slow. What took you so long?"

Although that last sentence wanted the policeman to snap the killer's neck right off his body, he still kept his cool and led him to a nearby squad car after confiscating all his weapons. He narrowed his eyes through the glass to the criminal, glaring daggers.

"Laugh now while you can, but your time is up. Let's see how you'll like jail, _**Darren Wimbleton**_."

* * *

Principal Wilson sat down in front of his desk, yawning. Every day, he had to come to work earlier than the students at his school do just to get everything prepared and set. It was a stressful life: nothing but paperwork and kids screaming at each other for some shit they just couldn't handle themselves.

Sighing, Wilson stood up and pulled out an aspirin. Sometimes, he needed something to relax, and these pills were really the only things that are stopping him from making his head explode into a million pieces. There really was nothing special about this school; very rarely would he meet a student that would go over and beyond the expected criteria of the teenagers enrolled here. In fact, he can't even remember the last time he had ever congratulated anyone for some outstanding academic feat.

That is, until now.

A few days ago, a close friend of his and one of his top physics teachers, Andrea Lyn, had barged into his room in a hurry, as if she had just miraculously found the cure for cancer using Newton's laws. She had explained to him about a certain student who had caught her attention ever since the first day of school. Her descriptions had, at first, amused him, then woke him up by straightening his back on his chair, and, eventually, left him flabbergasted. She must've been describing Albert Einstein himself, because the way she had talked about her pupil made him seem like he was the smartest child who ever lived.

Wilson could not believe his ears. A freshman who was able to solve senior-year problems using just plain logic and starter formulas? Heck, Wilson remembered taking physics himself in junior year, and even then, he was on the verge of failing class!

As proof, Andrea had given him the worksheet of that particular student she overwhelmed him with. He looked at the paper, and did a double-take. What the hell was the kid studying? If he was this good, then surely, there must be a reason to why other than sheer coincidence!

After bidding Andrea farewell over their long debate on what to do, he sat down; reading the questions Hank had answered. Wilson trusted Andrea enough to take her word that he had done this all by himself without any outside help. So now, the real question was, what was he going to do with that student…?

What was he going to do with Hank Shawnson?

It was a question that had plagued him for the past few days, but finally, he forced himself to make a decision. And it was one that would be quite rash.

All he had to do now was wait for Hank to come to school.

* * *

Hank walked in through the front entrance of the same, dull building that would "hold the key to his future".

Pfft, yeah right. To Hank, most of the stuff that would come into his head was meaningless. Yep; 6 hours of meaningless torture, five days a week.

The usual bustling of students was still vivid due to the fact that whatever environmental meltdown just took place a few days ago was now gone. But, Hank felt as if he forgot something. Something strangely important.

Shrugging it off, he ignored and avoided Marvin's group of bullies by hiding his face with his hood. The five of them were at it again; mocking some poor young soul for some kind of stupid reason.

Marvin stopped his insulting and noticed the tall figure behind him covering his head from view. That's odd…even Marvin was smart enough to know that hoods or caps weren't allowed in schools.

As Hank made the turn down the hallway, Marvin saw the book-bag:

Red with blue stripes.

Those were Hank's book-bag colors.

Marvin clenched his fists. He threw the kid he was holding in his hands into the locker. As soon as he did so, he and his group of lackeys began chasing after Hank (who began running as well since he knew immediately what was going on). Unfortunately for them, the school bell rang and teenagers began swarming out of their rooms. By the time they had shoved almost a dozen students out of the way, Hank was long gone. Marvin punched the locker next to him, making a visible dent.

"I'm going to get you one way or another, you little faggot!" Marvin hollered angrily at Hank. Hank heard Marvin's warning, but took no heed of it. He was far smarter than Marvin, and they both damn well knew it.

* * *

Hank walked into one of his usual classes: Spanish. He really had no idea why Julia thought it would've been a bright idea to take this second-language course over all the other ones, but then again, Spanish was a lot easier to learn than whatever the hell they're writing in Mandarin Chinese…

The teacher, whose name was Maria Hernandez, wrote a large list of vocabulary words. Apparently, they were going to learn how to say body parts in Spanish.

Hank rested his head on his arms, staring at the female writing on the board as fast as she could. If he's lucky, he might actually learn how to say "I shot off your dick." in Spanish, but his best bet was that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

As soon as she was done, she hushed down the class and pointed to the board.

"Class," she instructed with a visible Spanish-like accent, "Today, we are going to study how to say parts of the human body in Spanish."

One muscular boy in the back raised his hand before she could continue. Maria noticed this and pointed towards him.

"Yes?" she questioned.

The teen put his hand back down when he was called upon. "How do you say 'penis' in Spanish?"

Most of the kids laughed while others gaped at his strange outburst. Hank just rolled his eyes. Ever wonder how a child's brain would work in a teenager's body? Well, that mountain of flesh right there is your answer.

Maria ignored his ridiculous question. Either he was trying to be funny or the kid may have to see the guidance counselor for mental retardation. But in a school like this one, Maria has her doubts on whether or not reason number two is correct.

Turning back to the board, she began reading the words out loud so her students could repeat after her. It wasn't until she reached the last word where they met complications (as usual).

Another dumbass from the back pointed to the last word. "Hey! It says PIE!"

The teacher shook her head. She was expecting this. "No, it's pronounced: P-yeh. Not pie. P-yeh."

* * *

_***Foot in Spanish is written as "pie", but is pronounced as "P-yeh". I'm only using it here to avoid confusion.***_

* * *

Although Hank's favorite delicacy was pie, he still barely paid any attention to the teacher. She continued her call-and-response method one last time.

"La cabeza." she pronounced.

_"La cabeza!" _her students replied.

"La boca."

_"La boca!"_

"La oreja."

_"La oreja!"_

"El brazo."

_"El brazo!"_

"La pierna."

_"La pierna!"_

Maria took a deep breath. Okay, last word. There's no way they would screw this up, especially in something as simple as this.

"P-yeh." she finished.

_"PIE!"_

Maria shook her head sighing, as the kids in front of her laughed loudly. She couldn't even believe that they had passed middle school with this level of maturity. Hell, why were they even taking Spanish for God's sake? It's not like any of them are going to bother using it anyways.

Meanwhile among all this ruckus, Hank had fallen asleep in class, drool tracing out of his mouth. He was never a fan of Spanish, and will most likely never be for as long as he lives. Suddenly, the phone rang behind Maria and she turned around to get it.

"The phone is ringing!" A teenage boy blatantly shouted.

"Dumbass, we can see that." his friend said as he punched him in the arm.

Maria picked up the phone and began talking. Hank watched her, twisting the corner of his mouth in boredom. He looked at the clock above her head. Jebus Christ…five more hours of this shit? How the hell did he survive the first few weeks in this goddamn place?

Hank was broken out of his trance when Maria hung the phone back with a click. To his surprise, she had faced him.

"Hank?" she asked to grab his attention.

He nodded, confirming that his head still hasn't exploded from the stupidity all around him.

"…Principal Wilson would like to see you about something very important." Maria explained.

Almost the whole class had heard what she told him and turned themselves back to Hank. Hank Shawnson? Going to the principal's office? It was too good to be true.

They began "ooh-ing" him like children. Hank frowned at the fact that the principal had interrupted his in-class beauty sleep, but still, he was glad he could have an excuse to just get the fuck out of this room.

Hank stood up, pocketing his hands. He walked off calmly as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Maria glanced back at her students after watching Hank leave. One of the teens had stuck up two pencils in both of his nostrils.

She grimaced. Fantastic. Now, not only does she have to deal with this bunch of morons for the next five months, but she's going to lose her job because none of them are going to pass their final exams.

* * *

Hank felt his cheap rubber shoes squeak underneath his feet on the floor. Why the hell did the principal want him? Did he do something wrong? Or did Marvin fuck him over by telling a lie over his head?

After putting himself in his bubble of deep thought, he eventually made it to the principal's office without realization. Sighing, he turned the knob and walked in.

Here he goes…

* * *

Principal Wilson sat down on a large red chair in front of his desk, with two seats in front of him. Hank stood behind one of them, rolling his eyes. God, what a cliché room design.

Wilson waved his hand down at one chair. "You may take a seat if you like Mr. Shawnson."

Hank pulled out the chair on his right and sat down, crossing his arms and laying back on the cushioning of the furniture. When Wilson saw the student had gotten himself comfortable, he took a deep breath and began.

"You may be wondering why I've called you here, especially in the middle of the day, am I correct?" he told him.

Hank made a small nod.

Wilson straightened his back. "Well, do not fret. I am not here to scold you."

Hank felt his body loosen up a bit in tension. At least he doesn't have to hear an old man screaming at him until he goes def for some stupid reason. But wait…if he didn't bring him into his office to punish him, then what does he exactly want?

The principal opened the desk at his side, pulling out a sheet of paper with numbers and words written on it. He slid it down the table to Hank's field of view. "Do you know what this is?"

Hank stared at the worksheet for a few seconds. Wilson noticed him shift in his chair when he finally figured out what it was.

"Oh yeah, right. This thing. It's a weird worksheet my physics teacher gave me. What about it?" Hank questioned.

"This 'weird' worksheet was not meant for freshmen like you to take. In fact, it is far more advanced than a ninth grader's assumed level of thinking." Wilson explained.

Hank raised an eyebrow. "So, are you saying that I took something for sophomores by any chance?"

Wilson shook his head. "Try senior year."

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two of them. The bell rang, meaning that Hank had to go to his next class, but something told him that he should stick around just a little longer.

"…Oh…So did I screw up so bad that I'm getting expelled?" Hank asked, but for some reason, a little part of him wished that it was true so he didn't have to go to this useless place ever again.

Wilson made a small laugh at Hank's question, but went immediately back into seriousness when he remembered the main reason why he had brought this young man here. "No Mr. Shawnson. In fact…you've, incredibly, answered all of them correctly."

Hank smirked. "Cool."

Wilson blinked. Cool? That's all someone his age would say when they just heard the principal tell them that they're brilliant?

He ignored that odd response and decided to continue on with the details. "I've seen your grades, and, strangely enough, you've literally received perfect marks on all of your classes. True, you've only been in this school for the past few weeks, but lately I'm just curious to ask, have you done any work or so last summer to give you such a head-start?"

Hank glanced down at the ground for a few seconds. He looked back up. "Nope."

Wilson frowned. "It's okay Mr. Shawnson, you don't need to lie. It's completely natural to study new sub-"

"I'm not lying to you; I've never even bothered studying in my life. Personally, I just think that it's a waste of time." Hank interrupted him.

Wilson stared at Hank. Wait…that didn't sound like an A-plus student at all. In fact, that's what a student who's failing would say.

As if he could read his mind, Hank continued; "I've also never cheated before either. That's a pain in the ass to do during a test."

Ignoring Hank's profanity, he crossed off that suspicion from his mind by how Hank had replied with such a strong and firm tone of voice. Wilson decided to rephrase his inquiry.

"…Okay…how about this: In your final year of middle school, did your teachers talk about any material that was meant to be covered this year?"

Hank immediately shook his head. "Not that I'm concerned of."

"…Well, did you have a tutor?"

"No."

"Did you take any courses during the summer?"

"Nada."

Sighing, Wilson looked back up at Hank with one last attempt. "Are your parents teachers by any chance?"

Wilson noticed something flicker in Hank's eyes right after he said that. Hank gripped the fabric of his jeans on both of his legs tightly.

Hank turned his head away from Wilson.

"…I have no parents."

Wilson took in that sentence slowly. When it hit him at full force, he felt a sting of remorse grow in his heart. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know that-"

"It's fine." Hank sharply cut him off.

Knowing that it was an implicit signal to change the subject, Wilson straightened out his tie nervously. "R-right. Aside from that, I've decided to bring upon an offer after looking at your personal record."

Hank began listening more carefully. "Go on."

"…And, well, I've realized that maybe it's best that I could let you jump a grade for your excellence academically."

Hank crossed his arms. "You're serious, right?"

Wilson nodded slowly. "I know it sounds like a strange offer since it's practically never used in schools, but yes, I am. Lately, after seeing your work, I've been struggling on what to do with you. I didn't want to rush the learning process for any of my students, but at the same time, I didn't want to bore you with topics that you clearly mastered. So, are you willing to accept my proposition?"

Hank sat there with probably the question that could have the power to change his life forever. He broke away from Wilson's gaze, wanting to be kept alone with such a life-changing choice. This is it; this is exactly what he wanted: to get out of school as fast as possible and start on the life he planned for himself. Maybe he could even go on the lam away from the orphanage to a different state where he could make his shop. True, that somebody who's only 17 and starting his/her own business seem unreliable due to their young age, but then again, if he could show people that he got his high school diploma a year before most kids around him do, then he'd look like a genius instead of a drop-out.

Hank opened his mouth, ready to make his decision. Suddenly, something that had disputed his choice popped up into his head and made him close it again.

Marvin.

Hank had been in this school long enough to know that advanced sophomores and struggling seniors usually share classes together in the same room at the same time. No doubt that a fool like Marvin would be one of those idiots in the struggling class, which meant that if Hank leveled up, all hell would break loose tomorrow and almost every day for the next five months. So here he was with a choice: either he could skip a grade and get beaten into a pulp every week, or he could stay where he was and play it safe.

Being the rational person he was, Hank looked back up to Wilson, ready.

"I've made my choice."

Wilson nodded, already expecting him to say yes. "And that is?"

Hank put his arms behind his head.

"_**No."**_

Wilson sat down at his chair, frozen solid. Then, he found himself gaping, and jumped out of his seat.

"No!? What are you talking about!? This is an opportunity of _two_ lifetimes! And you're going to pass it up just like that?" Wilson found himself shouting.

Hank, not being fazed at the least by Wilson's outburst, stretched his arms upwards. "As much as I'd just love getting out of this place, I have my reasons. _Personal_ reasons."

Wilson made a large gulp, a bit embarrassed at how inappropriately he took the situation. Sitting down and calming himself, he decided to push his option a bit further. "But Mr. Shawnson, you do realize that this is a great chance for you to make up the fact that you started school a year later than usual. You're sixteen, and most ninth graders are one to two years younger than you."

Now, Hank had a puzzled expression on his face. "What? I'm not sixteen. I'm fifteen."

Wilson was shocked that the boy didn't even realize the most important holiday in a person's life.

"…You're wrong Mr. Shawnson. Today's your _**birthday**_. That's why I held in this offer until today as a birthday present of some sort."

Hank's confused look had turned into sudden realization. That's why he felt as if he forgot something earlier today! It was his _**birthday**_! September 22nd! Hank was taken aback himself. Was he too busy thinking about things that he didn't remember the one day he was counting on to leave the orphanage? He must really be losing it now.

Breaking out of his trance, he went back to the conversation at hand. "Birthday or not, I've still made my choice. And please don't ask why. That's something private I would like to keep to myself. _Please."_

Wilson sulked. Wow. What's so important to him that he has to keep it a secret?

Not wanting to repeat the upsetting mistake earlier where he discovered the young man was an orphan, he shook his head, sighing. "Alright. If that's what you really want, then go ahead Mr. Shawnson."

Hank pushed himself out of his seat, ready to go back to the room he took Spanish in so he could retrieve his backpack and continue on what little time he had left for the class after. Wilson gave him a late pass to excuse him and wrote the reason behind it. The teacher would probably do a double-take on the conversation Hank had with the principal, but then again, he was the top ranking student in his grade.

Wilson stood up as well, sticking out a hand towards Hank. They shook in agreement.

"That was quite an interesting talk we've had." Wilson admitted.

Hank said nothing as he let go of the grip he had on the other man's hand and turned around. Wilson watched as Hank left the door, seemingly saddened by the uneasy fact he had to admit. Orphans did make the best students, but God…talking to this kid made him feel somewhat depressed.

Wilson seated himself again, ready to sort out more papers. Andrea was right;

Hank Shawnson was really something else.

* * *

A/N: Ah crap! I'm so sorry this took too long to update! I've been having school trouble right now, and they just don't stop hitting me with surprise exams to study for. Thank you all for being so patient!

Anyways, how'd you like it? 4,500 words may seem like I sorta got carried away, but then again, I'm rushing this, so we can get to the good, ultra-violent parts. The next few chapters will be extra hot and jaw-dropping, so keep your heads up!

By the way, I owe you all an unbelievable debt of gratitude. Two days ago on Final Salvation, I have received 32 visitors and 62 views! 32 VISITORS. ON A MADNESS COMBAT STORY. Jeez, you guys really are into this stuff! Well not to worry my friends; there's more where this came from! A lot more!

Also, a special thanks to two people: DJ Anderson-Madness For Life(who used to be known as Blaze The Lone Wolf) and Swopdrop33 . Anderson has joined the revolution and contributed his Madness Combat fanfic: "Black Fire Rain". If you've read it before, then don't worry. The large grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors have been removed from both chapters, and I bet you guys would like it since it's Madness Combat. If you can't find the link, you can find it under my favorite stories as well as in "The Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution Community" where everyone who has joined our movement will have their fanfics posted here and read by all fans of MC to read!

* * *

As for Swopdrop33, he had left positive reviews in both this story and my previous one: "Final Salvation: A Madness Combat Fanfiction". Thanks so much bro! I appreciate it greatly!

* * *

And, before we get to Reviewers' Credits, Sacrom574 has submitted his own Madness Combat Fanfiction as well called: "Madness Combat: Second Nature" (Again, you can find this story under my faves and in the community as well). It talks about the back-story of Mikhail/Agent574, and I bet you guys will love it, even in its third chapter!

* * *

Finally, DodgeStreaker has added more chapters to her own MC fic: "Madness Combat: Horrors". Chapter nine really got to me and just blew me away!

* * *

Whew! Who knew so much could happen in seven days! And we haven't even gotten to the Reviewers' Credits yet!

* * *

**_Reviewers' Credits:_**

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**DodgeStreaker:** LOL, Hank's not going crazy. After all, in a place where buildings and whales fall from the sky, ninjas are the LEAST of your problems.

And fuck yes. The Sheriff is a bitch. That's why he's gonna die. :D

* * *

**Sacrom574:** I'm sorry that I didn't get the dialogue down perfectly. I was rushing to upload Chapter 5, so there were some issues with trying to sound everything out in a Russian accent. I do agree some parts should be changed, but not right now. I have to work on Chapter 7 and so forth.

Also, as for the all-black part, the only reason why I didn't put the detailed descriptions of Mikhail was only because I mentioned them in Chapter 5. There's really no point in repeating information people know. It's like saying Sanford wears glasses at the beginning of every chapter, which is kinda retarded to read over, AND OVER again. But nonetheless, you are correct. I will let you start working on dialogue soon, so I hope this issue doesn't occur again.

Thanks for the support though dude! I appreciate the fact that you're helping me out! I LOVE "Madness: Second Nature" to death, so keep updating your story too! :)

* * *

**DJ Anderson-Madness For Life:** Oh wow thanks! That's a compliment that really inspires me dude! And yeah, some of my ideas are S.H.I.T. as well, but you've gotta turn that S.H.I.T. into a frosted cake everyone will love!

…Wow…that sounded really disturbing…But, hey, it's your fault if you eat it. THE CAKE IS A FUCKING LIE!

Anyways, thanks again! I hope your Madness Combat fic gets popularity as well, and I can't wait to see what you got next!

* * *

**Swopdrop33:** Thank you for both comments on the fics! Just like everyone else, they're really inspiring and I hope you stick around! Because this is gonna be one hell of a ride!

I also appreciate how you added me to your Alert list like Dodge, Sacrom, and DJ! That's what made me really happy, and I won't let you down!

* * *

**Kagami:** Hey! It's awesome to hear from you again! I was actually worried again that you might think this sucked, but I'm relieved to see that you're still happy with what I've got! Also, sure, you can put your OC up in a review, but I will temporarily block Guest Reviews so only I can see it and your OC will remain a surprise later on! Just like everyone else (excluding Mikhail and Corey only because of their special roles), OCs will appear later on after Hank joins the Anti-A.A.H.W. and trains with the others.

Guest Review Moderation will be removed as soon as I take note of your character, save it on a Word file, and remove the comment before anyone can have the character spoiled. Just list the character's clothes, personality, favorite and least favorite weapons, and flaws as a person and combatant as well as the role you wish for him to play as in this fic (except the mentor of the trainees and the spy who gives out info to the Anti-A.A.H.W. since Mikhail and Corey fit those descriptions already).

Can't wait to see him!

* * *

And that's all. Wow, that was the longest Author's Note I've written, but hey, with two new supporters, I'm willing to write just 3,000 words per Author's Note just to show my appreciation! Thank you all for all the support, and I can see you've all began visiting the forum and the community! My debt to you guys will be repaid with awesome Fanfiction chapters!

Keep reading, because things are gonna get good!

~Spirit9871


	7. Sour Sixteenth

Chapter 7: Sour Sixteenth

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The rest of the day was seemingly awkward for the teenager well-known as Hank Shawnson. After his confrontation with the principal suggesting that he could skip a grade and declining, Hank started to feel as if he had made the wrong choice. But, he knew that he had only two more years left until he'd leave the orphanage where he could have the legal option of dropping out of high school and start on his gun-shop business from there. Plus, nobody would question the amount of years a gun-shop owner had spent during school since they would be too busy picking out their firearms. It was foolproof, and by then, it won't matter whether or not he finished the 12th grade.

Hank stared at the ground underneath his feet. When people asked who he wanted to become when he grew up, he gave them the truthful answer. But instead of inspiring or uplifting him, every single person he met would always stare at him with wide-eyes afterwards, telling him that his mind was being wasted if he followed his dreams.

Narrowing his eyes, he kicked a rock. Stupid bastards…they don't know what they're talking about. He wasn't wasting his life; he was living it.

Hank looked back up, seeing the orphanage very close by. He made a light jog for the remainder of the distance he had to cover to the door.

Opening the entrance with his keys, he walked in, only to be surprised at the fact that there was nothing but dead silence. But, that can't be possible, right? After all, he's in an orphanage with almost a dozen kids, so why did it feel as if he was all alone?

Feeling uneasy, he put his mind into alert for anything around him. God, it sounded like the place was abandoned. Was he so early that nobody else had come back from school yet?

Hank heard some shuffling from the room nearby him. The shades were pulled down and it was too dark to see anything but the outlines of the figures.

Making a small gulp and feeling a bead of sweat go down the right side of his head, he fiddled with the wall on his side, looking for the light switch. When he found it, he clicked it upwards, and was met with something that would leave him completely shocked.

"HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY HANK!" the figures (who Hank now realized were the other orphans and the caretakers) yelled.

Hank took a step back, lifting his eyebrows in confusion. When he looked down and saw the chocolate cake in Julia's hands, he chuckled.

God damn it, he forgot _again._ It was his birthday, and, not to mention, his 16th.

Julia came up from her knees and walked up to him with the cake still in her hands.

"…Do you like it?" she asked him.

Hank looked behind her and saw the others watching him nervously. They knew that Hank Shawnson was the only child in the world to hate almost everything around him, so there was a high chance that he would reject their offering.

But to their relief, Hank smirked. They were trying too hard, and it would be a sin if he said no.

"Yeah. I like it." he replied with an honest grin that Julia had never seen before. She beamed at his approval and the children cheered with glee. Eventually, the party began and kids began running around the place happily and playfully to the special occasion.

After a couple of minutes of talking with Julia, she had walked away, telling him that she had a surprise. Hank eventually got impatient and noticed a group of teenagers nearby him drinking some soda. He wondered if he could join in on the conversation. Besides, it was his birthday, and that might shut Julia up about how he had to make friends.

Hank walked over to the pack of boys calmly with his hands in his pockets. When he had finally confronted them, they stared at him, shocked that Hank would actually bother starting a talk.

"Hi." Hank expressionlessly greeted.

The four young men looked at each other, then back to Hank. One of them gained the courage to say something back.

"Hey, you must be the birthday boy. Congrats." he replied, sticking his hand out.

Hank looked down at the outstretched gesture. At first, the teen thought he had made the wrong move, but before he could pull back, Hank shook with him.

"Thanks."

The young man grinned, now feeling a bit more confident along with his friends. Before they knew it, the five of them were having a full-blown conversation. It was randomized where one person could easily say something to shift everyone's attention.

Eventually, Hank got tired of the main subject, and decided to skip to a topic that he knew he would enjoy the most. The only problem was: he wasn't entirely sure whether or not the others would be able to know what he was talking about.

Shoving his fears to the back of his head, Hank realized that he had already gotten this far, so things couldn't possibly go wrong by now.

"Hey, uh…"

The boys stopped their own talk and turned to him.

Hank scratched the back of his head. "…do you guys, by any chance, like any firearms in particular?"

The four of them stared at Hank. Although it was only for a few seconds, Hank immediately felt like he screwed up and turned a light shade of red from embarrassment. He thought that he might as well should just leave since he wasn't really meant to make any friends from the start, but instead, he was appalled to see that the others had began grinning.

"Fuck yeah I do! I love guns!" one of the brunettes yelled suddenly. From there, they carried onto a talk about weapons and violence. Hank stood there, completely blown away. This had to be one of his dreams…it just has to be. He never realized that anyone here would share the same passion he had!

Hank watched the boys laughing and talking about their favorite killing machines. He shook his head in disbelief.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he was asked a question.

"…So what's yours?" a tall blond asked him.

Hank blinked. "Huh?"

"You know; what's your favorite weapon?" he repeated.

Hank straightened his back. "Oh. Me? Well, personally, I'd like a sword in my left hand, and maybe an axe in the right would do nicely."

The blond nodded. "That's a pretty badass combo right there. But why just melee?"

Hank shrugged. "I don't know. If I wanted to get rid of someone, shooting them would be too quick. I think it would be much more worthwhile to actually make them see what had killed them."

One of the others (who was the brunette from earlier that initiated the conversation) suddenly broke in; "Hey! Ya know what I like?"

"What?" the same kid who just complimented Hank's choices asked behind him as he turned around.

The boy grinned. "Colt Revolvers! They're the bomb!"

Now, the blond was confused. "The hell? Why Colts? They have practically no ammo in them. I mean, sure, the firepower is pretty beast, but they're so goddamn slow and old-fashioned."

The brunette crossed his arms. "So? Try telling that to The Sheriff's guard: Jebus! He likes Colts too!"

"Yeah? Well The Sheriff's a kiss-ass to The Auditor in my opinion. Hell, I bet he slept with The Auditor so he could be running Nevada in the first place."

They all laughed. It's good to know that they hated The Auditor's guts. That's something almost everyone can relate too.

Hank let his laughter die down.

Maybe…just maybe…making some friends actually won't be such a bad thing after all…

* * *

Julia ran back downstairs, holding something behind her back. She looked at where Hank was supposed to be, but he was already gone. It didn't take her long to see where he'd gone. When she figured it out and saw Hank hanging out with the group of teens, she smiled.

Hank was on the right path.

Julia continued her route to him and interrupted his turn at the conversation.

"There you are Hank! I'm so sorry it took so long! I forgot where I put your gift!" she apologized, turning a bit pink.

Hank looked at her, confused. "A gift?"

Julia nodded. Then, she showed him what she hid behind her back. His eyes widened.

Black combat boots.

"Tada! It looks pretty cool, and I thought you'll love it!" she told him.

Hank examined the footwear from every angle he could. He was speechless; it was made of leather.

Hank shook his head. "J-Julia…where the heck did you get the money to pay for this? And for the cake?"

"I got some of the other older kids with jobs to work just a bit overtime along with me so we could get the money to pay for all this stuff. Plus, that's not all!" Julia explained.

Hank ears perked up. "It's not?"

Julia shook her head. "Nope! Check what's inside the left one!"

Hank glanced at her, then back at his gift. He stuck his hand inside the left boot and felt something that was shaped like a flat book.

Letting curiosity get to him, he pulled it out, and once he saw it, his jaw dropped. The other four teens he just befriended gasped.

It was the newest firearm magazine out to date.

"No way…" Hank whispered to himself.

Julia heard his stunned comment and was happy for him. "I knew you'd love it!"

Hank felt some confusion run around in his head. "Wait a minute…why did you get me something like this?" he questioned.

Rolling her eyes, she began; "Oh Hank. Like I said before: I'm not _that_ stupid. I already know about your secret little stash of these things inside of your pillowcase."

Hank felt his face flush when she stated that. Looks like he underestimated her a bit too much, and now she fooled him in front of his new friends (who were snickering at his astonishment).

The room felt a bit more uncomforting now, but Hank knew he had to say at least something back. "So…um…you're okay with that?"

"Sure, why not silly? It's better than some of the other things I saw in _**certain**_ people's stuff." she answered, stealing a look at one of the boys with Hank. The boy shrank into his crowd of friends. It looks like she knew about his magazines too.

And they certainly weren't on guns…

Julia heard some of the other kids behind her started fighting for cake. As she turned around, she heard a voice behind her.

"Julia."

Julia faced Hank again, recognizing his voice.

Hank smiled. "Thank you."

A warm feeling had grown in her chest when he said that. Somehow, it made her feel triumphant. Even though Hank technically wasn't her son, she succeeded in taking care of him.

Julia nodded, returning back his friendly expression. "You're welcome. Just make sure you don't show those to the little kids though, okay?"

After agreeing to those terms, Hank went back to his small chat as Julia went to settle the dispute the other younger orphans were having. He soon learned that they were all in the same school as him, and even shared a couple of classes together. Why hasn't Hank realized that before? Was he really that socially secluded where he couldn't even tell who he sits with?

"Speaking of which Hank, you think you could show us some of those mags you've been hiding all this time? It'll be really cool to see what you got!" the brunette (whose name was Andrew) suggested.

Hank looked at the rest of the group nervously.

"I don't know…" he trailed off. And it was true; he really didn't know what to do at that point. After all, those magazines meant a lot to him and gave him hope of the future that could lie ahead. Chucking them at someone's face would be as hard as giving a person you just met your pet dog you truly adore and grown a bond with over the years.

"Aw come on bro! We promise we won't do anything to them!" one of the boys assured.

"Yeah! Just a quick peek! Pretty please?" another begged.

Hank saw the desperation in their eyes and sighed. He supposed they all lived at the same place, so even if they did rob him, they literally had nowhere to go, and Julia would handle it.

Nodding, but still full of doubt, he ran upstairs to his room to get his beloved treasures for outside eyes to see.

* * *

Meanwhile, back downstairs, the phone suddenly rang.

"I'll get it!" Julia yelled out to the other caretakers whom were busy with their own labors. She dodged all the frantic kids running at her with ease, already experienced in the field of taking care of little children.

Julia pulled the phone out from its base.

"Hello?" she answered.

"_May I please speak to the parent or guardian of Hank Shawnson?"_ a voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, you're speaking to her, how may I help you?" Julia responded.

A few moments of silence took place from then. When Julia finally confirmed what she had just heard next, her grin melted away. In fact, she had dropped the phone (which caught the attention of quite a number of kids along with her co-workers), and made a quick jog to where Hank was a few minutes ago, only to see that he wasn't there. God…Hank would never be at the same spot she leaves him in whenever she really wants to see the teenager.

Not wanting to waste any more time and in desperation to tell the news she just received, she immediately threw questions at Hank's new "friends".

"Where's Hank?" she asked a bit too fast to Andrew.

Andrew turned to her, not understanding the jumble of words she just chucked at him. "What?"

"Where's Hank!?" Julia repeated in a more demanding tone.

Andrew took a step back, shocked to see Julia in such a state of distress. Julia was a bit surprised at herself as well, but this was an exception.

She had to talk to Hank _**now.**_

Before Andrew could say anything back, Julia heard footsteps go down the stairs and stopped at the doorway of the dining room where everyone was. Sure enough, when Julia turned around, she saw Hank holding his magazines in his hands.

Hank immediately caught on to Julia's strange change in behavior just by one look at her face. Puzzled, he decided to ask, "What's the matter?"

Julia made a large gulp, hearable to not only the group of teens nearby her but also to Hank as well. Hank was starting to get a lot tenser now.

"Hank…The Sheriff just called…" she began.

Hank's eyes widened. Oh fuck. Did that disgrace of a politician tell on him for cursing out loud at his face? Looks like he's gonna be fucked for the next few weeks...

Hank sighed. "Julia…I-"

"No Hank," Julia cut off. "You have to listen to me first."

Hank shut his mouth. Something told him that his last suspicion was wrong. Julia would never stop him in mid-sentence like that. Ever. She respected his boundaries, but now, she was breaking them. What on Earth was so important that Julia had to do something as disrespectful as that?

When Julia saw she got his attention, she shook her head.

"Hank…The Sheriff called…and…and he came up with some news..._**BIG**_ news…"

Hank couldn't take it anymore as he was starting to get more and more impatient with every passing second. "Just spit it out already!"

Julia bit her lip, forcing herself to speak.

"…The Sheriff…he said that they found him…somebody you have to go see."

"Who!?" Hank almost hollered.

"_**YOUR FATHER!" **_

There was a long pause after that. Julia had practically screamed at the top of her lungs with that last sentence in annoyance, so everybody had heard her, including the young orphans. Even the music went to a halt as everyone faced Hank for his reaction.

Hank was left paralyzed. He dropped his magazines on the floor and stepped over them to Julia, not caring in the least about the booklets that had meant so much to him in the past.

"…Is this…is this some kind of sick, fucked up joke?" Hank questioned at her in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

Hank already knew the answer to his question as Julia stared down at his feet. He began shaking wildly; filled with nervous excitement and the need to run to The Sheriff's jail.

"Oh my God…"

Hank dashed out of the building at top speed; bursting through the door. He ran down the pavement of the sidewalk as fast as he could to The Sheriff.

Julia quickly reacted to Hank's movements, but wasn't fast enough into stopping him.

"Hank, wait!" she yelled desperately as she chased him from behind. Hank heard her as he forced his legs to move faster instead of slowing down. He couldn't stop.

There was no way in Hell he would.

* * *

A/N: Seven is done. I'm glad I got to update this so soon, because my own suspense to type this up was killing me also! At least we're getting closer to the good parts: parts that I'm sure you'll never forget.

Yes, this was very short compared to the previous chapters only because I wanted to stop here and it seemed pointless to carry on a setting for another 500 words. Don't worry: like I said above, the next chapter will make up for everything!

_**Reviewers' Credit:**_

* * *

**DodgeStreaker:**

LOL, thanks! Actually, making Hank's birthday September 22nd was actually something I was thinking of for a while ever since I was in the middle of Final Salvation. I thought it was pretty creative, and realized; "Fuck it, let's see how this plays out!"

I think the answer to your question on whether or not Hank will meet his father is pretty obvious now. Definitely didn't happen here, but I suppose all of us know where this will go to next.

Thanks for the review, and I hope you keep up your own good work too on "Madness Combat: Horrors"!

* * *

**Kagami:**

Thanks for still being a loyal supporter bro! I can never forget you in the Credits because of all the inspiration you gave me to write! As for your question before, just don't worry. Post your OC description in a review, and I have everything under control. You will notice though that your OC description will not come up in the review column, but that's only because I blocked that specific review so nobody else could see it and have the plot spoiled!

Just post your review and I'll take care of everything else. Sorry I confused you in the last chapter; being an author does make you over-explain some stuff sometimes…

Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

P.S. I responded to your review by writing a review of my own in the review section right above yours, so you could just go see it there to read what I simply mean.

* * *

**Sacrom574:** I'm glad the last chapter satisfied you and I hope all the same with this one. The first section was meant to serve as a small plot diversion to Darren Wimbleton (who I'm sure we can all tell has some kind of connection to Hank). It was only placed there to sorta give the reader a heads-up that something big is going to happen.

More or less, this wasn't my best chapter either, but I suppose it will be made up in future excerpts.

Keep up the good work on your Madness Combat fic (Madness Combat: Second Nature) too bro!

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**DJ Anderson-Madness For Life:** Thanks again for the high compliments! I'm glad that my edits to your Madness Combat story: "Black Fire Rain" helped you out! It benefits the both of us since it makes your story look better and the Madness Combat community will be able to understand it more easily. Nevertheless, you have an interesting plot too, so don't stop writing!

P.S., Hank says; "Thanks" for your acknowledgment!

P.S.S. I'm working on your Chapter 3 right now, so don't worry, I'll be done with it soon enough as long as life stops being a bitch.

* * *

Okay, so that's all the credits. I'm proud to say that Madness Combat is starting to become a bit more popular around this site thanks to the Revolution, but of course, we're just getting started!

I should upload this by now since it's so late at night, so thank you all for reading and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	8. Scarred

Chapter 8: Scarred

* * *

The Sheriff sat down in front of the fugitive well-known as Darren Wimbleton, next to his right-hand man, Jebus (who was standing up). There were Grunts outside of the cell they were in if shit suddenly went down. But that didn't seem likely since Darren's hands were cuffed.

Immediately after capturing him, they had begun taking DNA tests to confirm he was the man they were looking for. Sure enough, they were right, but they also found something else that interested them: the man was a _**father**_ to one of the children at the local orphanage.

Now, The Sheriff didn't exactly know who the hell this guy's son was since the results came in so fast, but even he was sensible enough to let the kid at least see the person he thought had long abandoned him. Plus, since Jebus was the one who received the results and called Julia, The Sheriff would most likely be informed of what's going on as soon as the orphan gets here.

The Sheriff placed his elbows on the table that separated the two of them. Right now, his main priority was to talk to this man instead of worrying about some teenager.

"Well, well, well. It seems like we finally got you, Darren Wimbleton." The Sheriff plainly said.

Darren shrugged. "Whoop-de-doo. Congrats. Took twenty long years. I guess that must be some kind of accomplishment to the dumbasses that run this town."

Not having the power to control his anger well in most situations, The Sheriff shot out of his seat; ready to smack the criminal in the face, until Jebus had stopped him by gently pushing him back down on his chair.

The Sheriff sighed heavily. "Right then." he told Jebus, assuring that he had stabilized his rage once more.

Returning back his attention to Darren, The Sheriff glared holes into the back of his skull. Darren said nothing since he honestly didn't care.

"Your trial will be held in thirty minutes. So you might wanna pray now before that time comes." The Sheriff advised.

Darren chuckled. "Oh please. Does it look like I give a shit?"

The Sheriff cackled. But it was one of those annoying laughs that made the people around you stop smiling and frown.

"Judging from your attitude and your reputation; yes. _You should._"

Darren rolled his eyes. "My reputation? Well, at least it's _**something**_ compared to the bullshit you got over _**your**_ head."

This statement left The Sheriff confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Darren began, shifting forward into his seat from his lazy position into a much more serious pose and whispering; "that I know damn well you didn't hunt me down for any of my drug felonies or for my murderer status. That The Auditor had ordered _you_ to send out those men to take me out after so long. I bet your butt-buddy was pretty pissed at the fact that I was slipping out of your palm like butter."

The Sheriff wanted to throw something back against this wild accusation as well as for the last insult Darren had challenged him with. But before he could say something on his behalf, Darren continued forward.

"Shocked? Don't be. My boys and I knew all along that our part in this drug-cycle meant nothing to you, or for the fact that I had killed almost two dozen people, including _**your men**_. Of course you wouldn't, because everyone in this state knows you as the lazy ass-fucker who usurped the position as Sheriff. You were into something else I did; something that could ruin you and your boss."

"And that is?" The Sheriff spat back, finally impatient of listening.

"Isn't it obvious? You already know what I'm going to say, don't you? It's because I backed out of my deal for giving weaponry I stole to the A.A.H.W., and instead worked with the _**Anti-A.A.H.W.**_ after they gave me a better deal than any of you could offer in ten lifetimes." Darren finished explaining.

The Sheriff balled his right hand into a fist. Very few people knew about the Anti-A.A.H.W. well, since it was a hidden-resistance community against The Auditor's empire. Nonetheless, Darren was dead-right. But The Sheriff wasn't done yet; he could easily shove the stuff Darren had just said back into his fucking throat.

"The Anti-A.A.H.W. is a liability to this country. Even Congress agreed with The Auditor that it is. They're a menace to society, and anyone who affiliates or even affiliated with them in the past are criminals that deserve to rot in prison." The Sheriff defended, a bit of malice visible in his tone.

Now, it was Darren's turn to laugh. "Clever excuse! But it's still just an excuse. I will agree with you there; you may have taken me down because I'm a 'menace' since I worked for the Anti-A.A.H.W., but there's another reason why you wanted me: a much **darker** reason."

The Sheriff felt himself grow stiff and slightly nervous from these words. It was ironic: the captive pressuring the capturer. Darren noticed The Sheriff's mood change from confident to timid, but pretended not to see through his emotions.

"It wasn't the fact that I had stopped trade with you which turned me into a threat in your eyes. Oh no; it was because you _**knew**_ that I was shipping illegal products to the A.A.H.W. and kept it a secret. That includes The Auditor as well. If anybody, and I mean **ANYBODY** who has some sort of political power and works outside the A.A.H.W. discovers your little hush-hush plan from back then, all of you are _**SCREWED.**_ And by screwed, I mean big-time."

Now The Sheriff couldn't take it. He stood up and banged his fist on the table. "Enough! You're going to be punished for your sins and that's that! Say all the shit you want against me, but it won't help you anyways!"

The Sheriff quickly turned away, storming off out of his cell. Just before leaving, he decided to notify Darren of his "little meeting" later on with his child.

"By the way, good luck on talking to your son. I'm sure he'll just _**love**_ seeing the man who abandoned him for fifteen years." The Sheriff sarcastically informed him. Eventually, he did walk off with Jebus ordering the Grunts behind them to close the door.

For the first time in so many years, Darren was actually surprised. His son? Didn't he…?

Darren narrowed his eyes. Yes, he remembers now.

Kate…That fucking bitch…she delivered the kid without him finding out. And all these years, he thought that he didn't have some child to worry about.

But he was wrong. And that secret lasted for fifteen years.

Darren sighed, shaking his head.

"Shit…" he told himself silently.

* * *

The Sheriff sat down at his desk in deep thought. It was clear to anyone that he was troubled. Darren knew too much. If he even gave _hints_ of what The Auditor had approved of in the past, then his prediction will be right.

The A.A.H.W. will crumble.

The Sheriff picked up a pencil on the side of his desk and starting chewing on it. It was a nervous habit of his, and it seemed to be taking a negative side-effect on his teeth.

_'What the hell am I supposed to do with this guy…?'_ he asked in his head.

Before he could find the answer, the door opened and slammed shut. The Sheriff quickly looked up, and grimaced.

"Oh no…not this kid again…" he muttered.

Ignoring The Sheriff's comment, Hank looked around him wildly. Eventually, he realized he didn't know where to go and had to ask.

"Where the hell is my father?"

Now, The Sheriff's eyes widened. This was the kid he was looking for? This **brat** that had insulted him a few days ago? Damn, he's _**fast**_! The orphanage is almost twenty minutes away from the jail, and Hank had cleared that distance in **five**.

Regret of calling Julia began washing over him, but The Sheriff knew that it was too late to change anything now. The boy seemed pretty determined into finding what he was looking for and judging from his previous outgoing actions, there was no stopping him.

The Sheriff pushed himself out of his seat. "Come with me." he ordered to the desperate teen.

* * *

The Sheriff calmly walked down the hallway of cells filled with men, which annoyed Hank greatly. He was looking for his father for God's sake, and this guy is treating it like a stroll in the park? Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

But, all that ended when The Sheriff suddenly stopped in his tracks in front of a chamber where Darren was kept in.

The Sheriff silently nodded to one of the Grunts to open the entrance. When he did so, The Sheriff entered in the small room first. Hank made a small gulp of anticipation and followed suit.

As soon as Hank saw the man sitting on the chair in front of the table with his hands cuffed, his heart skipped a beat.

This was his father.

_**This**_ was his father.

Hank didn't honestly care about the fact that he had just discovered his father was a criminal and was sensible enough to approach him cautiously. After all, they don't put cuffs on people without a reason.

Darren slowly gazed up at Hank with a lazy and bored look. Hank felt himself take a step back, not expecting to be greeted by such a cold expression.

Taking a hint, The Sheriff backed away. He placed a hand on Hank's shoulder.

"You have fifteen minutes. By then, the prison bus will arrive and we'll have to take him away."

Hank blinked. Fifteen minutes? That's all he gets for waiting fifteen _**years**_?

Hank made a small nod. "Fine."

The Sheriff walked out, telling his two guards to keep an eye on their prisoner.

* * *

Hank watched him leave and turned back to Darren, who was still staring. Darren was amused at the fact that this was his own flesh and blood. He had a bit of his mother's looks, but he looked almost like a replica of his father when he was a teenager himself.

Finally, Darren spoke.

"Aren't you going to sit down?"

Hank snapped back into reality. Darren was right; he had fifteen minutes, and if he was just going to spend it staring at a man The Sheriff claimed was his "father", then he might as well leave now.

Seeing the chair across Darren, he sat down. Darren sighed.

"I bet you have a lot of questions on your head right now, don't you? Well, take your time. But remember; we do have a strict limit on ourselves…uh…"

"Hank. Hank Shawnson." Hank interrupted, introducing his name to a man who saw him as a complete stranger.

Darren twisted the corner of his lip. "Hank? Who was the idiot who thought up of **that**? I would've gone with something like Damion. Not Hank. Too cliché."

Hank clenched his fists. He was upset at the fact his father just rejected his name and called his caretakers idiots. But now was not the time to argue.

Now was the time for answers.

"Why the fuck did you leave me?" Hank questioned in a voice no louder than a whisper.

Darren continued to wear a bored face, listening.

"Why did you and my mother let me rot in that orphanage? Did I do something wrong when I was young?"

Darren chuckled at Hank's innocence. The kid would learn the truth.

But he won't like it.

"Well, you did do something, but it was because of me." Darren replied.

Hank looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Simple, there was only one mistake you made in your life that ruined your parents." Darren calmly continued.

"What?" Hank demanded.

Darren glared at Hank with a dark look that scared him for the first time in his life. This was definitely his father; Hank was the one who made people afraid of him from his facial expressions, not the other way around.

_**"By being born."**_

As soon as Hank processed that sentence in his head, he felt his chest grow cold, like something had just died there.

"B-by being born?" Hank stuttered.

Darren nodded, "You're not supposed to be alive. It was an accident that I had made your mother pregnant. And I would've stopped this from happening, had she not run away from me."

Already in the first few minutes of this conversation, Hank felt as if he was about to cry for the first time in ten years. This brought up another question.

"Where is my mother?"

Darren chuckled, shaking his head. Hank felt what was left of his heart, sink.

"Somewhere in Nevada, five feet below the ground."

Hank immediately knew what that meant.

His mother was dead…but why?

"What happened to her?" Hank continued, confused at how comical Darren was taking all this.

Darren glimpsed back at Hank with a smile. But it wasn't one of those warm smiles.

It was one of those smiles that said: 'You're in for a big surprise.'

_** "I killed her."**_

Hank felt his mouth hang slightly open.

"What?"

"I killed her." Darren repeated, feeling no shame in that last sentence.

Hank, still gaping, pushed on forward. He didn't want to hear anymore. It was too much. But he had to know.

He had to know.

"Why!?"

"Didn't I just say it? It was because of _**you.**_"

Biting his lip, he squeezed his eyelids tightly. He still didn't understand.

Again, Darren sighed. "You might not understand unless I tell you the whole story. But I promise you this; you will _never_ see your life the same ever again."

Hank opened his eyes once more. He gritted his teeth.

_**"Tell me."**_ he ordered.

Darren smirked. It seems as though his son had balls.

"Okay. Here goes."

Darren took a deep breath in, and exhaled, reminiscing his memories.

"My name is Darren Wimbleton. I was arrested for becoming the leader of a notorious gang which mainly sold drugs and illegal firearms to our customers. It was funny; I had reached such a high position in my twenties. But, more or less, that's not the point."

"Most of the time, after a successful deal, I'd go to a strip club down in Dead Nevada late at night. It was such a normal occurrence to me, that I'm just surprised nobody could figure out I was **THE** Darren Wimbleton, who was being chased down by the police."

"The strippers who came in were mostly the usual ones and eventually bored me. It wasn't until one night, when I was around 23-ish, one night I saw her. That's right; your mother."

Hank felt his stomach flip over.

"Her name was Kate Isabel, a.k.a. in the strip club, Kat. I admit; she was beauty. Brown hair with brown eyes that mesmerized me until I couldn't take it anymore."

"After one show, I snuck in backstage to go and talk to her. I gave her a huge amount of cash to give me just one night, my _first_ night actually, with her. She agreed, and we ran off to my hidden base. My guys were busy at the time somewhere, so it was perfect. Best night of life."

Darren felt that Hank was beginning to grow tired of his experiences and knew that he wanted him to speed things up.

"Afterwards, she actually fell in love with me when we had a deep conversation. I admitted my true identity to her, and she confessed I was her first also, saying that she didn't actually want to be a stripper. She just did it to meet with her bills back at home. Feeling a bit bad for her, I promised that I would take care of all her dues with the money that came out of my own pocket, and she could quit her humiliating job as long as she stayed with me."

Darren grinned. "Kate literally jumped up and down on the bed and hugged the shit out of me until I couldn't breathe. In a sense, it was a lot like us getting married, but there was no way that was going to happen. After all, my face is hated in public, so there was no fucking way I was going to make such a stupid mistake to ruin myself."

Hank was bemused. So how did things suddenly turn out they way they were now?

As if he could read minds, Darren continued; "Two months had passed, and we were still a couple. Every night, she would pleasure me, and I would give her whatever she needed. Was it a relationship balanced on money? Sure it was, but neither of us honestly cared."

"We always used protection whenever we could. There was no way in hell I was going to have a child. A drug leader was not meant to have one after all. So things were okay…until something happened."

"One morning, as usual, I woke up to see Kate's face. But instead of smiling, she ran to the bathroom and threw up. Although I tried denying it at first, I knew. I knew what had happened."

"The condom had failed us last night and she was pregnant."

Hank grimaced. He knew where this was going now.

"Later tests proved positive, and soon, spurred ourselves into arguments. I told her to abort the baby as soon as she could, but she refused, saying that it was murder. I don't know how killing an egg is described as 'murder' in nature, but apparently, that religion bullshit had gotten to her head."

Now, Hank was blown away. Hank honestly thought to himself that people could might as well go with abortion for all he cared. But now, this conversation was changing his mind.

"Eventually, I had enough. I told her to do what I told her or else I'll kill the baby _and_ her. That was enough to send her over the edge. Kate, although hesitant, agreed, and things were strangely quiet afterwards. The doctor who was supposed to get rid of you appointed her two weeks from then."

"Kate ignored me completely, as if I didn't exist to her, and I did the same. So much for a loving relationship. We slept in our bed, still dead-silent as usual. I knew what I had to do, and so did she. But I had made one fatal flaw: I didn't keep her from escaping, thinking that she really would go for it."

"The next morning, I woke up, turning on my side to see her face. But I was only met with a wall across the bed."

"Frantically, I began searching for her. I had told my men to make sure nothing would come in or out of our hideout, but Kate was smarter than I thought. She had somehow snuck through them and left."

"We searched for the woman who carried the one thing that could ruin my name. After three months of searching, we lost her and gave up. But that didn't mean that was the last time I saw her."

"Another six months flew by, and I was taking care of some usual business. This particular time of the year worried me since I knew Kate would give birth to you. However, one of the boys recognized her running around in the streets, and captured her."

* * *

_Kate struggled against the ropes holding her onto the chair. She found herself in a dark room, secluded from the outside world. But she knew where she was all too well. _

_ Darren Wimbleton's hideout. _

_ A few minutes later, she heard the door beside her creak open. Three men came in, one of which being Darren._

_ Darren walked up to her and placed a hand under her chin. "Hello Kate. Long time no see, hm?"_

_ Kate frowned. "Get your hands off me, you filthy pig!"_

_ Darren smirked. "That's a great way to greet someone you haven't seen for almost a whole year. Tell me, how is our son doing tonight?"_

_ Kate went silent. She looked away from his gaze that slowly pierced into her. Darren yanked her face back to his._

_ "When I ask a question, __**you answer.**__"_

_Darren slapped her sharply on her right cheek, watching as her head swung to one side. She slowly turned back, some blood tracing out of her mouth, and spat it on Darren's face. _

_ Darren didn't bother wiping it off. He raised his hand again._

_ "I'm going to ask you one more time, but now, I'm starting to lose my patience. __**How is my son?**__"_

_ Kate kept the tears stinging in her eyes from falling. "He's fine with me. But I'm sure he wouldn't like to see his father right now. __**Or ever.**__"_

_ Darren laughed. "That's a good one! You don't have to worry about that! I'll make sure he won't ever see __**ANYONE'S**__ face, including mine's. Where were you tonight?"_

_ This question alarmed Kate instantly. She had just dropped off her newly-born child down at the orphanage, but Darren seemed to not realize that. However, what Darren __**did**__ realize was how Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat._

_ "N-nowhere…" she stammered. Ah crap, it was way too obvious now._

_ Darren shook his head. "Baby, you know I don't like it when people lie to me. Especially people who think they could just run away from me and think they could live happily ever after. Oh no, there will be consequences. Nowhere is not a location you know. Everyone is somewhere on this planet. So where were you?"_

_ Kate glared at Darren. "I was at the police station, reporting that I was being threatened." she lied._

_ It was Darren's turn to be panicky. Luckily, he was too flustered to think for a moment and realize that the police would've kept her in their safety if she said so._

_ Darren felt his body tense up. "You little bitch."_

_ Kate flared her teeth, smiling angrily. "I know right? But this bitch just played you for a fool."_

_ Darren narrowed his eyes. He was quite surprised that Kate had actually made him reach his boiling point, but he realized he didn't want any more excuses._

_ He was going to rip the answer out of her._

_ Darren turned around to one of his men and cocked his head towards Kate. _

_ "Silence her."_

_ Kate's eyes widened. She felt the cold nozzle of a pistol on her right temple. _

_ "Burn in hell Darren!"_

_ Darren grinned. "I'll see you there then."_

_ Without realizing it, Kate felt her chest expanding and closing in on itself. She was practically gasping for air._

_ Kate calmed herself down and closed her eyes, relaxing. It was over. _

_ She would die, but her son would live._

_ The gun was fired, and blood splattered on the floor. After seeing what he had done in satisfaction, Darren pulled out a knife and gave it to the second man next to him._

_ "Cut open the womb."_

_ Complying to his demands, the man untied Kate's corpse and let it fall to the ground. They opened her and began searching. After a few minutes of silence, the man turned to his leader._

_ "It's not here."_

_ Darren's eyes widen. _

_ "What!?"_

_ "We searched every corner of her, but there's nothing here. She's not pregnant."_

_ Darren did a face-palm in shock. He decided to turn to the man who shot Kate since he was the one who captured her. _

_ "You!" _

_ The man stood up quickly. _

_ "Where exactly did you find her?" Darren questioned in a low, angry voice._

_ The man thought to himself, but replied with the address timidly. Darren felt his hopes die down._

_ That was near the local Nevadan orphanage._

_ Darren shook her head, looking back at Kate's womb again. He didn't want to put the pieces together since he already knew what the picture would tell him._

_ Darren punched the wall next to him, leaving a hole._

_ "Fuck!"_

* * *

Darren finished his story, returning back to present day. Hank just sat there, completely frozen in shock and fear. How could somebody do something like that? Killing the person who trusted them most **and** their child just to keep their reputation the way they want it? Can someone actually be so heartless as to do that?

Darren stared at Hank, waiting for any sort of response. Finally, he spoke.

"Your time is almost up."

Hank stared down at the floor, his eyes invisible to Darren's view. When he looked back up, Darren saw they were moist yet filled with a ferocious fire.

"Yeah. And I'm glad you're going to get what you deserve you bastard." Hank retorted.

Darren smiled. "You have that same spunk as your mother."

Immediately after that was said, Darren felt a fist make contact with his face. One of the Grunts outside saw what was going on and was about to run in until Jebus stopped him.

"Wait. He has only one minute left. And I doubt a fifteen year old can kill someone twice his age in that amount of time. Let him speak his final thoughts."

Darren fell to the floor behind him. He laid there; not saying a word and just watched Hank as a bruise formed under his right eye.

Hank pulled him up through his collar with both hands. **"I don't have a mother because YOU killed her for caring about her child."**

Darren made a small snicker, but went into hysterics.

"You're so predictable! I guess that's what I get for talking to a teenager. You _think_ that she cared. That she _loved_ you. But guess what? Just like me, she _**regrets**_ becoming pregnant. Because her life would've been so much more luxurious and great if you hadn't come into the picture. Am I right?"

Hank stood there, holding his father and still matching his careless, cold eyes, with his own heated stare. Then, he felt his grip loosen along with the raging strength in his body.

Darren fell on his back and watched his son turn away from him. Hank was shaking.

And there were teardrops hitting the floor from where he was standing.

Darren stared at the ceiling over him. Although he had made probably the deepest scar Hank will ever receive, he knew that this was the truth.

That this was what really happened, and there was no going against it.

* * *

Jebus, seeing it was over and hearing the Sheriff ordering him to bring Darren to the squad car he'll be carried on, told the Grunts to enter and take Hank away from his father.

The Grunts followed their orders, but even they could feel how tight the atmosphere felt inside of the room. One Grunt led Hank out the door, but before he could leave, he heard struggling. Hank whizzed around also, wondering what the hell was going on. But then, he saw Darren kick flip onto his feet and sweep the Grunt into falling.

The first Grunt fell down on the floor, and had his head smashed by Darren's foot. A large crack was heard from his skull, and blood quickly seeped out. Before the second Grunt could react, Jebus dashed in, pulled out his revolver, and fired straight into Darren's head.

Darren fell back, hitting the wall behind him with blood staining the gray walls. A puddle began forming from his body.

Hank stood there, all alone as the Grunt that was still alive checked on his partner. He shook his head to Jebus, saying that the damage done was lethal, and he was gone.

Suddenly, everyone realized that Hank was in the room with them. The Sheriff ran in from his desk, hearing the gunfire. He stared in shock at the mess inside the cell, but it couldn't match how intense Hank's reaction was.

Hank felt his father's blood mix with the tears all over his face and the dead Grunt's red fluids trace at his feet. He didn't have any idea how to react to what had just happened. It was so instantaneous, and it was all over within ten to fifteen seconds with two people dead. When he looked down once more at what was left of his father's face, he could've sworn he saw him smiling.

And for the first time, Hank screamed.

* * *

Julia finally made it to the station, putting her hands on her knees in exhaustion. She was fifteen minutes later than Hank was. God, how much she wishes for her youthful strength again.

Glancing around, she was confused. There was a police car parked outside the building, but nobody seemed to be inside the main room, not even The Sheriff.

'Where is everyone?' she asked in her head.

It wouldn't take her long to find out because that's when she heard it.

That's when she heard the screaming.

* * *

A/N: Wow. Epic cliffhanger! God…this chapter was literally 4,800 words. Holy fucking shit.

Ah well, I suppose it was necessary to fit all that epicness in there! So, how'd you like it? I worked on this for three hours, so trust me, I did my best!

Let's go to Reviewers' Credits.

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_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

* * *

**Sacrom574:** Yep! Julia is motherly! But when you think about it, every person needs a mother to at least give them a chance to show them the right way to live life, including Hank. And Hank's substitute-mother is her, since it's obvious his real mother is out of the picture.

I promise to keep an eye out for any PM's as always, but that last thing you told me is pretty flattering, yet I laughed. I'm pretty sure I'm not professional writing material, since I'm sorta plain on the details and stuff, plus if I were the judge, YOU'D be more closer to writing professionally than I can right now. Your works are way better than mine's anyways, so keep up the good writing too!

Thanks for the review comrade! :)

* * *

**DodgeStreaker: **Well, I don't blame ya for freaking out. Anyone would. It's just that Hank didn't go nuts in the prison until he heard his father out, and THEN he went ballistic. I worked my ass off for this chapter since it's so important, but trust me, the drama DOES NOT end here. It's actually just escalating.

Thank you too!

* * *

**DJ Anderson-Madness For Life: **Hey, I'm glad you liked the reaction! That was the main thing I was trying my best to look awesome since it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see something as epic as that go down! I hope this chapter answered your question of the reaction!

Also, I'm glad you started reviewing this story regularly like Sacrom and Dodge! Your comments keep inspiring to write, and I wish mine do the same for your story as well!

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**Guest:** Thanks man! I appreciate more reviews from different people, so yours really made my day just a bit brighter, even if it was only one word. I hope you liked this chapter too!

* * *

By the way guys, I've realized that people are still making comments on Final Salvation, so instead of not responding to them directly, I'll post the credits from there over here too! That means if you post a comment on any of my other fics that are already complete, you can find your credit in the latest chapter of my latest story AFTER you posted your comment. Don't worry, I'm always reading everyone's thoughts!

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_**Reviewers' Credits (For Final Salvation):**_

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**Cobano Ga****lan****:** I'd love to answer that question since you spent the time reading my story (thanks man!), but can you please explain what you're asking for in more detail? I'm not honestly sure what're you talking about, but I'm still listening to any questions.

* * *

That's it for both Credits. Wow, this took A LOT of my weekend time to finish. But hell, I enjoyed it! And I'm sure you guys will too! Remember, we haven't even gotten to the juicer, ultra-violent parts yet!

By the way, I just finished reading a book that was on the **_New York Times_** bestseller. It's called _**Thirteen Reasons Why**_ (Written as _**"Th1rteen R3asons Why"**_ on the cover) by Jay Asher, and it's pretty good. Apparently, it's about a girl who committed suicide leaving 13 tapes behind about why she did it, each tape talking about a specific person and how they're related to her death. The person who had a deep crush on her (but never got the guts to say anything about it), Clay Jensen, finds the tapes in his mail and learns he somehow affected her life too. It's around 300 pages long, so if you're looking for a good read on suspense and drama for teens, this is nice to check out if you haven't already. Remember, to write good, you gotta read.

Well, that's really all I have to say for now. I will be pretty busy this week since I have school and exams to do, so you may or may not see another chapter until the end of the week as usual. I'm still looking forward to the winter break so I can spam you all with chapters! It'll be pretty cool, and I'm hoping to get a large portion of Hank's Legacy done while we're all relaxing.

Two more weeks guys! Be patient!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of "Hank's Legacy"!

~Spirit9871


	9. Nightmare

_**Quicknote:**_ Any part of the text marked with an * (asterisk) is by Sacrom574. Some parts may have been edited due to the fact that he isn't entirely on this plot or if he recommends any new ideas at the last second, so please keep that in mind.

* * *

Chapter 9: Nightmare

* * *

The Sheriff clasped his ears with his hands. He couldn't take Hank's screeching and felt as if his ears were ready to bleed.

"Jebus!" he yelled, "Shut that kid up!"

Jebus (who was also annoyed as well), turned to The Sheriff, with irritation clear in his face.

"What the hell do you expect me to do!? The kid's father just **died**! How the hell do you think I can fix this!?"

Before The Sheriff was able to yell anything back, he heard footsteps running towards them. Sure enough, Julia had run in from all the ruckus.

Julia stopped in front of The Sheriff, panting. Then, she quickly turned to the cell where Hank was still shrieking. It didn't take her long to put all the pieces together to see the whole picture.

Saying nothing, she dashed to Hank and hugged him deeply. Hank's hollering eventually died down after being muffled from freedom.

Then, he went dead quiet, as if he was asleep.

Julia, who was still holding onto Hank, turned her head to The Sheriff.

"What the hell happened here?" she questioned with sternness clear in her tone.

The Sheriff sighed. "Christ, you have no idea partner. I wish I could use words, but let's just say that all hell broke loose the minute he got to see his father."

Julia frowned. "And you just let him die? With his son watching? What kind of Sheriff are you!?"

"We couldn't do anything ma'am. When the boy's time was over, his father just snapped and went haywire. One of my guards came in and-"

"First of all, that **boy's **name is Hank Shawnson. Secondly, and what? You screwed up, because it looks like it! Why are you treating this like some kind of casual joke!?" Julia exclaimed, cutting The Sheriff in mid-sentence.

At that point, Jebus decided to jump in. "Before this conversation flares into an argument, The Sheriff is right. There is nothing we can do now madam and we can only trust Hank into your custody."

Julia glared at Jebus, who didn't even flinch at her fierce look, while The Sheriff stood triumphant at Jebus's support. Looking back down solemnly at Hank, she shook her head.

"Unbelievable."

Julia let go of Hank and grabbed his arm to lead him outside. At that moment, probably the one thing that horrified her most wasn't the corpses or the fact that Hank had been scarred.

It was the fact that as she was pulling Hank's hand, it felt empty and almost submissive, as if she was dragging a corpse of her own outside.

* * *

After walking for what seemed like ages, Julia finally brought Hank back to the orphanage and stood with him at the front of the stairs. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began:

"Hank, tell me. What happened?"

Hank, not saying a word, finally looked up at Julia with those coal-black eyes of his. Julia actually shifted her back upwards a bit in shock. Normally, Hank's eyes would be cold, yet seemingly intimidating for one to bear upon. But this…this was a clear image of defeat. His cheeks were stained with blood and dried tears that go along with his miserable look. Before, Julia would be filled with excitement at the capabilities behind those shaded eyes, yet this Hank was just depressing to look at.

Finally, Hank found the words to respond.

"I talked with my father. And he threw me away like trash."

Julia shuddered at how dark those words sounded from Hank's mouth.

"Hank, that can't be true. Your parents lo-"

_**"No!"**_

Julia drew back, startled by Hank's sharpness.

_**"He ABANDONED me on PURPOSE. He told me himself that I was a mistake; that the only reason why I'm still alive was because my mother saved me from him! I don't fucking give a shit if he's dead! That asshole deserves to burn in hell!"**_

Julia didn't know how to respond to that. She knew Hank wasn't the type of person to exaggerate things, especially if they're personal. But she knew she had to say something. This one moment could be the turning point of the teenager in front of her.

"Hank…I'm sorry…I…I don't really know what kind of people your parents were, but I just want to tell you that it's over. I'm here and I'll care-"

_**"Care?"**_ Hank interrupted. _**"You care? I'm YOUR JOB Julia! Of course YOU would care. After all, I am your paycheck. If I die, so does your job. You're not my mother or my father. You're an OUTSIDER."**_

"Hank! I do care! I do love you! As a son! All the children here in the orphanage mean so much to me! Including you! Don't you EVER think for a second that I'll leave you behind!" Julia reasoned, grabbing Hank's wrist.

Hank stared at her, letting the tears visible in his pained eyes.

_**"It's not the same!"**_

Hank broke off of Julia's grip and ran off once again from her reach. Julia was about to go chase after him, but she knew it was no use.

Hank had to figure this out himself.

* * *

Hank ran down the dark streets. Evening had come by fast, but his birthday was turning into a nightmare. Just when everything was going great; just when things were finally going the way he wanted them to go, somebody just _had_ to fuck it up for him. As if God really didn't want him to be happy for once in his life!

He cursed himself for feeling the tears go down from his face and ripple away into the air. For being so goddamn weak.

Not having anywhere else to go, he decided to stop by somewhere he could sit down and relax before the cold atmosphere could get to his eyes and turn the tears into ice. Hank realized that the best place to probably do so was somewhere underground: the subway.

After sneaking past the guards, he made it down the stairs and to the station. Hank noticed there were only a few more people around him who were waiting for the next train to arrive. Tired and upset, he took a seat on the dirty wooden bench behind him.

*Hank looked up; eyes bloodstained, and started in surprise.

He was not alone in the station anymore.

A single man stood, leaning against the wall on the platform on the other side of the station. Hank's keen eyes took in the cargo jeans, navy-blue T-shirt, and combat boots before his gaze was brought up by the strange blue light that began emanating from the sunglasses that the man began putting on.

Hank stood up, as if to cross the tracks and confront his stalker. As If on cue, a train passed before him, startling him, and made him take a step backward from the sounds of the moving cars. When the train had passed and a blast of air blew on his face, Hank's stalker was gone.*

Hank gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

_**"Show yourself you coward! I know you're there! STOP MAKING ME THINK I'M SEEING THINGS! BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING FUCKING CRAZY! SHOW YOURSELF!"**_

Hank found himself breathing heavily. Silence filled the atmosphere because nobody was around him since they had just left on the train that passed the station.

Or so he thought.

_"Well, well, well."_

Hank's eyes widened as he heard the familiar voice go into his ears. He turned around, narrowing his eyes.

"What the fuck do you want Marvin." Hank muttered in a low voice, glaring at the asshole with his friends.

Marvin shrugged with an ugly smirk on his face. "Why so glum? Me and my boys here were just leaving this place, after we took care of some _**business**_ with another kid like you that pissed us off."

Hank glanced down at Marvin's shirt and noticed a few droplets of blood sprayed here and there. One thing's for certain: Marvin's definitely not lying this time, because whatever "business" he finished off didn't end clean.

And, chances are, Marvin was planning to get some of Hank's blood on his shirt before he gets on his train.

Marvin speculated on his surroundings. "Oh look. Nobody's here. Must've just missed the train. Ah well…I can spend the next ten minutes **beating the tar out of you then**."

Although he was already far enough from Marvin, Hank took another step back just for extra measure. His comrades seemed a bit unsettled as well, probably at the fact that they had to deal with all the yelling from their unsatisfied leader.

Marvin cracked his knuckles. "I've been waiting for this for a very, _**very**_, long time."

Hank saw Marvin's sudden change in stance. It's gonna get real now.

Marvin pumped his right fist back. He was a slow attacker, but it was clear to anyone that if somebody was willing to put so much focus into one attack, the results could be devastating.

Hank knew exactly where Marvin was aiming. Under the left eye; smack on the cheekbone. He's seen Marvin do it before in school with some other students. And although he would usually get off with a detention, Marvin sure knew how to leave a mark on anyone's face.

Raising his left hand up in an open palm, he was ready. Hank planned out his attack. First, Marvin was going to try and punch him, but Hank would catch his fist and, hopefully, break his arm. If that doesn't scare his buddies into running off somewhere, then he could have more than enough time to escape.

But then, as Marvin's fist whizzed in the air, Hank felt something in his head pop up.

* * *

_"You're not supposed to be alive. It was an accident that I had made your mother pregnant. And I would've stopped this from happening, had she not run away from me."_

* * *

BAM!

Hank felt his feet leave the ground as he flew back from the intensity of Marvin's punch. As Marvin grinned, his friends began "ohh-ing" in excitement.

"Damn! That's a punch!" one of them yelled.

Hank quickly stood back up, not wanting his opponent to gain an advantage. With the tips of his fingers, he felt the bruise slowly forming on his face. God…Hank felt as if his skull was going to cave in and his left eye was about to burst.

Marvin jumped towards Hank, making him flinch. Hank couldn't believe it: Marvin was treating him like a ringleader with a whip. Worst of all, Hank knew he wasn't feeling like himself anymore.

And of course, of all the days Marvin decided to ambush him, today just HAD to be the magic day.

Hank saw Marvin doing the same offensive maneuver, this time, with the opposite hand. Okay, one mistake. No problem. He could fix it.

This time, Hank raised his right palm.

But there it was again.

* * *

_"Where is my mother?"_

_ Darren chuckled, shaking his head. Hank felt what was left of his heart, sink._

_ "Somewhere in Nevada, five feet below the ground."_

_ Hank immediately knew what that meant. _

_ His mother was dead…but why?_

_ "What happened to her?" Hank continued, confused at how comical Darren was taking all this._

_ Darren glimpsed back at Hank with a smile. But it wasn't one of those warm smiles. _

_It was one of those smiles that said: 'You're in for a big surprise.'_

_** "I killed her."**_

_ Hank felt his mouth hang slightly open. _

_ "What?" _

_ "I killed her." Darren repeated, feeling no shame in that last sentence._

_ Hank, still gaping, pushed on forward. He didn't want to hear anymore. It was too much. But he had to know._

_ He had to know._

_ "Why!?"_

_ "Didn't I just say it? It was because of __**you.**__" _

* * *

Again, Marvin's knuckles met with Hank's flesh and bone. Again with the "ohh-ing". Again with the disbelief. And again with the pain.

Marvin was overjoyed by his work. Hank now had two large bruises on his face thanks to him, and he still wasn't done yet.

Hank pushed himself up once more, not realizing that he had gone unconscious for two seconds. He was at Marvin's feet, but there was no way he would let his enemy close in like that.

His chest and Marvin's were separated by mere centimeters. Marvin was only an inch taller than Hank, since Hank was a fast grower, but that doesn't make the situation anymore better. Before he could retreat and separate himself once more, Marvin landed a firm punch into Hank's stomach.

Hank felt as if he was about to regurgitate blood just from that blow.

* * *

_Darren smiled. "You have that same spunk as your mother."_

* * *

That awful voice and image wouldn't stop replaying in his head. It was as if he was destined to lose this fight and destined to lose what little honor he had left.

In utter horror, he realized that tears began dripping from his eyes. Hank wasn't crying, but the pain and shame was so intense that he couldn't help but squeeze his eyes tightly to the point where the water inside of them would just leak out.

Marvin saw Hank hunch over with wet eyes. He laughed.

"You thought you could just get away with your stupid prank huh? I have to thank you though; if you hadn't been yelling and crying on that wooden bench over there like a bitch, I would've never found you, punk!"

Marvin's friends howled in hysterics as well. Hank felt another small piece of him break away.

Another small piece of who he was as a man.

Marvin kneed Hank's chest. Hank slipped off his feet and fell face-first forward on the ground. Now he could literally taste the blood in his mouth.

Hank felt a vice grip grab his collar, and his back slam on the filthy walls of the subway. This was it. This was the one thing that the bully had wished for in the first place. To see the one person who dared defy him break apart like glass shattering on a wooden floor.

Marvin put his lips near Hank's ear.

"Mess with me one more time, make me look like a fool one more time, or even say anything to anyone about tonight, and it'll be the last time you'll ever use your arms, legs, or any other part of your body."

Marvin let go of Hank and watched him sink down on the wall to the floor. Then, Marvin picked the defeated freshman up and placed him upright on the wooden chair. He looked like a mess, but nobody would bother him and mind their own business.

* * *

_Darren made a small snicker, but went into hysterics. _

_ "You're so predictable! I guess that's what I get for talking to a teenager. You think that she cared. That she loved you. But guess what? Just like me, she __**regrets**__ becoming pregnant. Because her life would've been so much more luxurious and great if you hadn't come into the picture. Am I right?"_

_ Hank stood there, holding his father and still matching his careless, cold eyes, with his own heated stare. Then, he felt his grip loosen along with the raging strength in his body. _

* * *

Hank let the back of his head make contact with the tile wall behind him. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply for some fresh air. The train tracks rattled, meaning that Marvin had finished his job just in time before anyone would see the disaster he put Hank through. It fascinated Hank at how no one had noticed the violence that took place.

The doors opened and people began diffusing onto the platform. Marvin went on the train with his friends, made one last turn to look through the transparent glass at Hank, and shot a wicked smile at his prey.

The train chugged away, and once again, Hank was all alone with only a few people on the platform around him.

Hank gulped in the last breath of oxygen he needed. He wanted to jump onto the tracks for some other train to just run him over and end it all, or even to be electrocuted by the Third Rail and burn into ashes. At least there would be a smaller mess to clean up. But there was only one person in the world that stopped him.

* * *

_"First of all, that __**boy's **__name is Hank Shawnson. Secondly, and what? You screwed up, because it looks like it! Why are you treating this like some kind of casual joke!?"_

* * *

Julia.

Hank knew that Julia was worried sick about him by now, and he didn't need her to suffer with him. It was time to finally leave and end the day by returning home.

Forcing himself to stand up and fighting the aches in his body, he dragged himself up the stairs to exit the station; his cold yet pained gaze never leaving the floor. Some of the bystanders nearby him watched Hank's struggling, but quickly turned back to whatever they were originally doing.

Still, Hank didn't care.

Because he was done.

Just done with everything.

His birthday...

His parents…

His pride and confidence…

Gone.

And in their place: a nightmare he calls his life.

* * *

Hank opened the doors of the orphanage. It seemed as though the party he abandoned had died as soon as his presence was missed.

The living room was still a mess, and there were a few things here and there scattered all over the place. Just as Hank expected, Julia came up to him. Before she could say anything, she covered her mouth at Hank's physical appearance.

Julia traced her three fingers around his face, feeling the purplish-blue bruises swelling. Although it stung, Hank didn't recoil from her touch.

"Oh my God Hank! What happened to you!?"

Hank glanced up to her weakly. Again, she was met with wounded eyes, only that he looked worse than before.

"I was hit by a train." he lied.

Julia, having some sort of common sense, ignored that last statement. "Did someone do this?"

Hank frowned. The last thing he wanted was for Julia to go off to his school and make a big deal about his problems.

"No." Hank fibbed once more. This time though, his voice was cold yet revealing.

To Julia, that "no" was an obvious "yes". She knew that Hank socially isolated himself from people and allowed it, but bullying? That was the last straw.

"I'm going to the school." she firmly told him.

Hank wanted to feel worry, but he was too tired and hurt. Still, he couldn't let Julia just humiliate him in front of everyone like that.

"Don't." Hank replied sharply, as if giving an order.

Julia shook her head angrily. "I'm not going to let anybody hurt you or anyone else under my care Hank. I want to get the little bastard who thinks he could get away with something like this."

Even though Hank was a bit startled at the fact that Julia had cursed (since she was mostly pro-morals), this response just made him angrier.

"Please Julia, don't. Just please. I can handle myself."

"No Hank! I can't let you get hurt anymore than you already are! This is not healthy for someone like your age, and I'm putting an end to this once and for all!"

"Julia, you're going to hurt me socially if you do this."

"I don't care! It's better than watching you get beaten into a pulp!"

Hank felt something snap at the back of his head. A pulp? She thought he was going to be beaten into a pulp? For someone like Hank, who valued people looking at him highly, that was like a racist insult.

"Why can't you just leave me alone! Stop being such a _bitch_ all the time and just leave me alone!" Hank screamed.

As if it was a reflexive response, Julia slapped Hank on his already injured cheek with fierce strength. Hank stumbled back, staring at the floor with a shocked and destroyed expression. Just like him, Julia was also surprised at her action. This was the first time she had ever hit any of the orphans physically, and not to mention to Hank.

To her terror, she realized that she had made a big mistake. Hank felt his face one more time and felt blood gushing out from where she inflicted the hit on him. Julia must've dug her nails into his skin.

Hank clasped his face. Now, the pain was too much to hide. It felt as if somebody had just thrown a pile of red-hot coals onto him.

Julia stretched out an arm, quickly trying to make up for her fault. Hank saw what she was doing and this time, backed away.

_**"Stay away from me."**_

Julia flinched at Hank's tone. Never had she heard him say anything like that, and it scared her.

Hank ran up the stairs to his room, slamming the door shut and locking the key. Julia stared up into the ceiling and felt the tears go down.

Every time she would try to help Hank, it would always end in a catastrophe.

When all was silent, Julia's cellphone rang.

"Hello…?" she answered a bit too sadly.

"Is this Julia Shawnson?" a man questioned.

Oh God no…she didn't need another problem on her head right now.

"...Yes, but I'm sorry. I'm really not in the mood to-"

"Please listen, this is urgent. It's about Hank Shawnson. "

Julia was still. Why were so many things hitting Hank at once…including her?

"What is it?" Julia asked back, wanting to get it over with already.

"It's just that…remember that IQ test you've administered to the boy, which I'm assuming he did all by himself?"

"Yes, I do, and I know for a fact he didn't cheat. Everything on there is his work only." she answered back.

"Well…you're not going to believe this. After grading the test by machine and hand three times, we've confirmed something incredible."

Julia swallowed. "…And that is?"

_**"…We've confirmed Hank Shawnson's IQ is 200."**_

Julia gaped. She nearly dropped the phone in shock, but brought it back to her ear closely.

"What!?"

"This is no joke. Hank Shawnson has an IQ of 200. We've triple-checked his exam, and it was the same score every time."

Julia's mouth was still hanging. "What does that mean for Hank?"

"…There may be a chance that the government will confiscate Hank for further analysis of how his head works."

"For how long?"

"…I don't honestly know."

Julia was dumbfounded. The government was going to confiscate…no…**steal** Hank away from her? And in this mess?

"You…you can't do that! I won't-"

"I'm sorry Ms. Shawnson. That is not in my control. I am only here to give you the results. Not the options."

The line hung up as Julia opened her mouth to say something back. She dropped her device and fell to her knees.

What the hell was going on with Hank? And what is he?

* * *

Hank leaned on his door, trying to find some ray or light of hope to his birthday. Not finding any, he walked off to his bed, noticing that there were some presents piled up on the mattress.

With one quick sweep, he knocked off all the boxes taunting him for his awful, awful day.

And then, underneath it all was his stack of firearm magazines; one of them opened to a random page.

Hank felt himself go sick to the stomach.

The gun on that page was a Colt Revolver.

The same one Jebus used to blast his father's brain out of his skull.

Hank felt his body tense down and relax. He knew what he had to do.

He grabbed the magazines into both his hands,

**And ripped them all in half.**

Hank threw the useless booklets onto the floor and covered his face with his pillow. The pillow began soaking in the blood that Hank couldn't even tell was from his father or from himself.

But somehow, he wished it was his. So that way, he could bleed himself out as he's falling asleep.

* * *

**_A/N_**: Whoa…that's a pretty painful chapter. I didn't originally think the plot would turn out like THIS, and yet although it's epic, I really feel bad for Hank (which is unbelievable since I'M the one writing the story)!

All my grievances go for the families of the tragedy at Connecticut yesterday. I know it may not mean much since it's only on a Fanfiction and it is kinda random to say here, but really, I'm sorry for their losses. All I can say now is that I hope things will turn out for the best and I give you all my fullest sympathy.

I want to thank Sacrom574 though for helping me out with a small part of this chapter (the part with an asterisk on it). Because of him, I was able to upload this a day earlier than planned. So, you guys could thank him since he is the reason why this story is going along so fast yet epically.

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

* * *

**DodgeStreaker:** Heh, nobody likes a cliffhanger, but ya gotta end a chapter with one or else you will never finish the story itself! Also, good point on The Sheriff idea, I could've actually used that if I think of it now. But then again, you have to remember that The Sheriff was all the way at the front while Jebus was right at the cell with the two grunts. So it would be reasonable that Jebus would be the one to act, not The Sheriff. Trust me; The Sheriff is going to do something worse. **A whole lot worse.**

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

* * *

**DJ Anderson-Madness For Life:** Thanks man! And yeah, you're right, but remember, Hank is scarred, so regardless, his father will somehow always be there to haunt him (like in this chapter). Plus, there's some more shit he gotta cram down his throat too…

I hope you keep up the great support! :)

* * *

**Kagami:** You may notice how your review is not there, but don't worry. I deleted it on purpose, but kept your descriptions on a Word file so I can always refer to them. I only did this to make sure your characters wouldn't be spoiled, so make sure the next time you write a review, you won't spoil anything for anyone about your stuff! I saved what you sent me so no worries!

* * *

Again, thank you all for your support. It's amazing how most of you guys are still around for me, and I'm doing my best to satisfy all of you. Keep up the support bros, and I'll keep up the writing.

And that's all. Thus ends Chapter 9, and probably the most tragic chapter I've ever written so far.

I hope you all enjoyed this Chapter of Hank's Legacy, and goodnight from New York.

~Spirit9871


	10. Escalation

_**Quicknote**_: Any part of the text marked with an * (asterisk) is by Sacrom574. Some parts may have been edited due to the fact that he isn't entirely on this plot or if he recommends any new ideas at the last second, so please keep that in mind.

* * *

Chapter 10: Escalation

* * *

"…"

"…_Sheriff."_

The man standing next to Jebus, well known as The Sheriff of Nevada, turned around to meet one of his Grunts. They were in a dark room where he would monitor the areas around his office.

"Yes?"

"_We've received word that we've found the individual whom the Anti-A.A.H.W. are looking for."_

Now, The Sheriff was more attentive. "How?"

"_An IQ examination was administered to a certain young man that you may know of, and the results showed he had scored 200."_

This puzzled him. He knew of him? When?

"You know who?"

"_Yes, but the news will surprise you. The man…or should I rather say…__**teenager,**__ that has been causing all this commotion is no other than __**Hank Shawnson.**__"_

The Sheriff felt something fall in his chest and his heart skipped a beat. This one young man: the one that had caused him so much anger in the past and saw his father die in front of him; he was the key to this war?

The Sheriff gritted his teeth. "Son of a bitch…"

"_But there's more sir."_

The Sheriff let a bead of sweat fall from the side of his head. There's **more**? Of course there was.

"Tell me."

"_First of all, we've found that the Anti-A.A.H.W. has attempted to make contact with the youth in the past, and are amplifying their efforts to somehow recruit him through one of their top agents."_

Suddenly, Hank's description of the man that had broken into his house had struck The Sheriff. He gritted his teeth.

"Agent 574."

The informer glanced at his boss, puzzled.

"_You already know of him?"_

"Yeah. The boy told me himself that he had met him once before. I didn't believe him at first, but your words are starting to make me think otherwise, partner."

The informant immediately looked alarmed. This was massive, and it could devastate the A.A.H.W. in ways never thought possible.

"_Then we must take action now! Shall we try to bring the boy to our side?"_

The Sheriff looked at his guardian, Jebus, who shot him an 'I-Told-You-So' look for when he warned him that Agent 574 could've been in the middle of all this.

"No," The Sheriff firmly ordered, "It's too late for that now. We have to get rid of him. **Permanently.** This Shawnson boy; he's one of the children at the orphanage, am I correct?"

The Grunt nodded.

"Well then, burn the goddamn place down with him. Make sure he doesn't survive, and _**don't**_ leave any evidence behind of your actions."

"_What!? That's insane! This could cost us our jobs, if not, our freedom! We're not only eliminating Hank Shawnson himself, but also all the other orphans in there! Do you have any idea what that could mean to the A.A.H.W.'s reputation!?"_

The Sheriff slammed his fist on the table in front of him, shutting the Grunt up.

"Boy, you better listen to my orders, or The Auditor will **not** be happy with the mess over here. There is no other choice; we have to kill the kid before he kills us. And even if he doesn't, if The Auditor hears what's going on, you can kiss both our asses goodbye."

Hesitant yet loyal, the Grunt merely nodded again and followed The Sheriff's plans.

"…_As you wish, sir."_

The Grunt hurried away, stabilizing a small team to execute the operation. The Sheriff was once again left alone with Jebus.

"It seems as though you're losing control over Nevada." Jebus informed him.

"Ha! I've got all the power I need! Ain't nobody gonna take over this town today, tonight, or ever!" The Sheriff defended.

Jebus shook his head. "You _think_ you have control, but you're just breaking apart. I can see it in your eyes. Just like Alva, you've gone berserk."

The Sheriff glared at Jebus. "**You better shut your yap Jebus. Or else-**"

"Or else what?" Jebus said in a dark tone as he towered over The Sheriff with his Binary Sword in his hand.

The Sheriff gulped. He knew Jebus was far stronger than he'll ever be, and threatening him would do no good.

"O-or else I'll…I'll fire you from your position and tell The Auditor to eliminate you himself!" he countered.

Jebus pulled back his sword. The Sheriff sighed, but became cocky as he stood upright proudly.

"That's true. You could do that." Jebus agreed.

The Sheriff grinned.

"But, you and I know goddamn well that before you even have the chance to go back to your boss for help, you'll be **dead.** And I'm sure the graveyard nearby here has enough space for one more coffin."

The Sheriff took a step back, immediately intimidated by the thought of death. He wasn't truly sure on whether or not Jebus really liked him, but he had the feeling that he shouldn't try that thought out. For his own sake.

Jebus walked out on The Sheriff for "fresh air". The Sheriff sighed angrily.

Was he losing control?

The Sheriff stared out the window of his office.

His life depended on the end of Hank Shawnson's existence.

* * *

Hank didn't sleep. But could anyone blame him?

All night, the ravaged teenager glared at the wall in front of him, in a deep process of sorting out his thoughts and all the events that had terrorized him the day before.

With bags under his eyes, he turned his head to see the clock beside him. It was 7:00 in the morning.

School was calling him.

Hank got off his bed and picked up his backpack. He did absolutely no homework yesterday, and hell, he didn't even check to see what he had. All he knew was that he wouldn't care whether or not he'd pass the grade. In fact, he didn't care about anything anymore, including the gun-shop dream that had seemed so appealing to him in a time that felt so long ago.

After wearing suitable clothes and washing his face from the blood and grime in the bathroom, Hank walked down the stairs. The orphanage was dead quiet after everyone heard about Hank's incident with his father, but even the awkward silence didn't bother him either. He walked out the door, not even meeting eyes with Julia, who was sitting on a chair in the next room, staring down at the floor.

Julia heard the door slam shut up front, and squeezed her eyes tightly, forcing a teardrop to hit the floor.

* * *

Walking through his normal route to school wasn't any easier as well. In fact, it had become even worse with every step he'd take to his destination. When some of the other students recognized him, they moved out of his way and stopped all their previous conversations to focus on him. As if it wasn't possible for things to get anymore worst than this, each whisper passed among everyone was like a dagger stabbing him in his back.

_**"You see him right?"**_

_** "That's Hank Shawnson."**_

_** "Yeah, Marvin beat the shit out of him yesterday at the station. Looks like he wasn't lying after all, judging from the bruises on his face."**_

_** "And nobody helped the guy?"**_

_** "Well what do you expect? This is Nevada after all, and the kid had it coming to him."**_

_** "True, he did. Serves him right for fucking with a jock like Marvin and his gang."**_

_** "Yep. Stupid kid."**_

Hank ignored the gossip and went through the doors of his school. Again, there was more whispering. Hank never really was accustomed as the center of attention in school, since he was always the quiet one. But now, it was all getting to him.

And then, that's when he saw Marvin: Lord Douche-bag of Sunset High School.

Marvin walked down proudly in the halls, knowing that his former glory had been accomplished, even if it meant beating down someone three years younger than him. Hank turned away from him quickly, not wanting to show him the success of his work by the bruises still on his face. He didn't care that some of the other teens had watched him do so. He just wanted to end this year of school so Marvin could just be forced to leave with a crappy job as his future.

Marvin noticed Hank's actions and made a wide smile. He left the kid alone only because he had done his job.

But to him, watching Hank as the empty, destroyed teenager he is now was so much more delicious than it was before.

* * *

Hank walked into his physics class and took his seat. This was his last class of the day due to some changes in his schedule. The rest of his school day was a nightmare filled with even more rumors and stares.

Already, everyone had gone dead-silent as he sat down and stared at the board. Andrea was stunned to see Hank was still in her class ever since she recommended him to a higher level. But the freshman must have his reasons, and she decided it was best if she let him sort out his own problems right now.

Hank noticed that none of the kids around him were talking about the fact that his father was gruesomely killed right in front of him. They still probably didn't realize what was really going on with him besides the humiliating incident in the station.

Willing to keep it that way, Hank watched Andrea talk on the board and scold some of the students for talking. Although he **hated** to listen to anything any of his teachers said, Hank just wanted to pay attention this one time. It would help conceal all the murmurs behind him.

Figuring she was done with all the topics on the board to review, Andrea then carried some handouts in her hands and passed them out to everyone. Again, Hank was given something advanced to take on aside from everyone else.

And it pissed him off even more to be different. To be blessed with a great mind and cursed with an awful life.

Hank looked down at his sheet, pulling out something to write. Andrea noticed he was much slower than usual, but shrugged it off. Maybe she was going a bit overboard with this.

Hank continued to stare down at his paper. He realized the answer and showed his work on the side. Then, he did the same with the second, not grasping at the fact that the hand he was using to write with was shaking.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of problem solving, he made it to the last question. Squinting his eyes to see what it was asking for, he took in all the words.

And that's when he snapped.

* * *

_"You are on the target range preparing to shoot a new rifle when it occurs to you that you would like to know how fast the bullet leaves the gun. You bring the rifle up to shoulder level and aim it horizontally at the target center. Carefully, you squeeze off the shot at the target which is 300 feet away. When you collect the target, you find that your bullet hit 9.0 inches below where you aimed._

_ What is the velocity at which the bullet leaves the muzzle of the gun?"_

* * *

Hank frowned. He felt something inside his head just let loose, and scribble down the answer for him. As soon as he did so, he held the pencil in his hand a bit too tightly, and snapped it in half.

The student next to him saw what had happened, but before she could comfort him, Hank flipped over his desk. Some of the teenagers shrieked at his action.

_**"Damn it!"**_ Hank shouted.

Hank began breathing heavily. He turned to Andrea, who just stared at him with a sad and remorseful expression. Hank didn't understand why she just left him there with that depressed look on her face.

Suddenly, it hit him.

_**She knows.**_

_** All the teachers know.**_

_** All of them know that Hank Shawnson was the offspring of a dead, cold-hearted criminal.**_

Hank bit his lip, ignoring all the stares at his back. He wanted her to say something. He wanted her to punish him for being the little dipshit that ruined his parents' lives. Hank didn't want remorse; he wanted to feel pain physically, not emotionally.

So why wasn't she saying anything?

_**Why was she just sitting there, staring at him like he was some kind of tortured dog!?**_

He clenched his fists.

_**"I HATE FUCKING SCHOOL!"**_

Hank ran off as fast as he could through the classroom door, not caring that Andrea was trying to go after him. He kept running until he found himself outside the backdoor of the school.

Andrea watched her top freshman run out of the door. She knew exactly why he did that, and picked up his sheet to see what made him pause for so long on the last question.

Andrea's eyes scanned the nine words he put as the last answer:

_**"It doesn't matter because someone always ends up dead."**_

* * *

Hank sat down outside at the schoolyard, feeling a cold breeze lightly blow through him. He realized that nobody had gone after him when he left. Did they not see him run out of the school? Or were they just playing that sappy act of leaving him alone.

Frowning, he stared up into the sky. It was a beautiful day, but that meant nothing to the teenager.

Suddenly, Hank sat back upright on the red brick wall behind him. The doors opened up and a swarm of kids were racing out of their classes to freedom. Hank must've forgotten that he ditched last period, so no wonder why there were so many people coming out all at once.

Hank noticed that some of the boys and girls were going to the cars parked on the side of the streets. Their parents must've been nice enough to pick them up after a long day of hell, or even take them to some kind of afterschool celebration like at a restaurant.

Hank watched all the movement between teenagers, parents, and teachers go on. He felt more depressed than ever, and wondered if his father wasn't such a bad guy, would he be one of the happy kids walking back home?

Well, it didn't matter by now. His father and mother were dead, and he was an orphan with Julia as the only person in the world who cared about him. Those were facts.

And facts were facts.

After what seemed like an hour of waiting, the students finally stopped coming out of the building. There were only two dozen students hanging out at the schoolyard; most of them just hanging out for the fuck of it.

Hank felt his head sulk and his eyes close. What was he thinking now? Was he planning on taking a nap? Maybe. Hank just didn't give a shit anymore, and if sleeping would bring him closer to death, then let him sleep forever for all he cares.

Suddenly, something snapped him back into consciousness.

A shriek.

_From what sounded like a __**girl**_.

Hank saw where the noise was coming from, and shook his head in disapproval.

Marvin.

Marvin pinned the blonde to the wall, sexually harassing her into giving in. Hank felt his stomach flip over as if he'd grow sick. He recognized her as Marvin's girlfriend. Hank just couldn't believe it. Would Marvin really be that much of a jerk to screw around with his girlfriend like that? And who the hell would want a punk like Marvin as their _**boyfriend**_? Hank could only assume that she did it for the sake of her reputation.

You know; _**popularity points.**_

"Marvin, please, just get off me. Not here. Please." The girl begged in a whisper.

"Shut it. I don't give a fuck if they're watching. Let them for all I care." Marvin spat back at her.

Marvin tried forcing his lips on her, but she pulled away from him and turned her head the other side so he couldn't get her. After minutes of struggling, the blonde finally got the courage to push him away with both arms and tried to run off, only to have her wrist caught by his firm grip.

Hank couldn't take any more of it. He did have the power to stop this. To stop Marvin from possibly raping her.

But why should he?

Why should he help someone who clearly got herself into a catastrophe like that? She put herself in that position, so she had to pay the price for the attention she gets.

Hank stood up, ready to walk away. He should just mind his own business and leave. That would've saved him so much trouble back then.

But then, he heard more.

"Listen you bitch, you follow what I say, and you can have whatever you like. I don't care whether or not you don't wanna do this. We do it right here and now. No fucking exceptions."

Hank clenched his fists.

_Why…?_

The blonde tried yanking away from him, but failed.

_Why does he hesitate…?_

"Get away from me!" she yelled.

Hank just stood there, taking it all in.

_Why should he help someone…_

Marvin pulled her back.

_…when nobody helped him?_

Hank closed his eyes.

_It just wasn't __**fair…**_

Marvin got a firm grip around her waist.

_…None of it was…_

"Come on baby. You know you want me." he whispered lustfully.

_…IT JUST WASN'T FAIR!_

The blonde began crying.

"Please…don't…"

_ He wanted to just shrug it off. To be so cold as to walk away from a girl in need._

Marvin pulled her back.

_But he couldn't…_

The blonde tried pushing him away again, yet it seemed as though her luck would run out.

_**…Because he wasn't a coward. **_

**"Hey!"**

Just as Marvin was only inches away from his goal, he dropped the girl, who ran away from him. Unfortunately, one of Marvin's friends caught her, to save Marvin's treat for later.

Now, people began noticing the commotion between the single freshman against the five seniors.

"Well, if it ain't the little faggot I beat down yesterday. Came back for more?" Marvin said with cockiness clear in his voice.

Hank narrowed his eyes. "Wow Marvin. I never thought you were that much of a coward to mess around with your girl like that."

Marvin laughed. "The tough-guy act again, eh? Hey; I did you a favor by leaving you alone, but you just couldn't keep your motherfucking mouth shut, can you?"

Hank shook his head. "Sometimes, you gotta teach the dumbasses around you a lesson."

Again, Marvin went into hysterics with his friends. "A lesson!? _**You**_ teach _**me**_ a lesson!? That's fucking hilarious! Look at yourself! You really think you can take me down with a face like that?"

A small crowd began forming a circle around the two.

"Well, let's see. Or are you too chicken to take out someone three years younger than yourself?" Hank mocked.

Seeing where this argument was going, the crowd started egging them on.

_"Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

Marvin grinned. "Whattya know? Now, I can show people how bad I can mash your face in!"

Hank took a step back and went into a fighting stance. After that disaster from yesterday, one thing's for sure. Marvin's _not_ a weak boxer.

Marvin went in first, a bit impatient that his fun had been interrupted by a runt who wanted a rematch so soon after their last battle. Hank had no idea what he had gotten himself into again, but now he was ready.

The images would haunt him no more.

_It was time to fight._

Marvin threw his fist quickly. It seemed as though he was more focused on speed rather than power. Hank knew he was trying to aim for the already-bruised parts of his face, so he ducked and parried the attack. Although Marvin was shocked at the fact that Hank's speed had suddenly increased, he turned back around, stumbling a bit from how fast he was going. Hank clenched his right hand into a fist and smacked Marvin in the cheekbone, just like what Marvin did in the subway.

"OHHHHHH SNAP!" One of the bystanders yelled. The crowd had somehow become encouraging towards Hank, and his morale skyrocketed.

Meanwhile, Marvin quickly got back on his feet, clearly angered at the fact that Hank had caused damage onto him. He felt his face and widened his eyes at the painful purple imperfection growing on his skin. Marvin gritted his teeth, ready to fight one more.

Hank realized that Marvin had charged in with full force, ramming his body. Hank fell back onto the rocky floor, but quickly shot his eyes back open as he rolled to his left from Marvin crushing him with a body-slam.

Hank returned to his fighting stance and sent another punch to Marvin's other eye. Again, Marvin flew back from the magnitude of the attack, and crawled back up.

His friends were shocked. Was their leader losing it? Or did Hank somehow become twenty times stronger than the last time they met?

Not wanting to lose the upper hand for a third time, Marvin back-fisted at Hank and made contact with his face. Hank stumbled, but came back with a firm jab into Marvin's chest. Marvin gasped at the impact and backed away; clutching his chest.

The crowd was going wild now at the freshman who was kicking ass. Hank made a smirk as he got back into position; mocking Marvin by just standing there.

Somehow losing control of all reason and honor, Marvin cocked his head at one of his friends.

"Get him."

Nodding, the senior took Marvin's place. Although the crowd suddenly booed at Marvin's cowardice, Hank made sure they would see something they would never forget.

Hank saw the twelfth-grader go for his stomach. He jumped back a few inches, and smacked his fist into the young man's jaw. It was a big hit, and Hank wouldn't be shocked at the fact that he had broken the firm bone.

The senior fell back, clutching his jaw. Now, Marvin was outraged. He stood back up after taking in more than enough air he needed along with the rest of his gang.

Hank felt himself loosen in stance and adrenaline pumping in his veins. Four at once? Marvin lost it.

Hank saw the second senior come in, but grabbed his arm with the right hand, and broke his nose with a punch from the left. The third was a bit faster, leaving a small bruise by hitting Hank somewhere between his stomach and chest. However, Hank immediately regained control and made an uppercut to his opponent's jaw. Realizing that he was still standing, Hank finished him off with a potentially fatal attack: a blow to the throat.

Unfortunately, Hank lost most of his energy in this burst of violence, and forgot about the other two students coming for him. Hank tried dodging another attack by jumping to his right, but a firm kick to his ribs beat him to the finish.

Hank wheezed out air, losing his composure. Marvin saw Hank's weakness and came with a hard knock to the stomach. Because he was still sore from yesterday's attack, Hank fell down to the ground, yelling loudly in pain. However, he was left there only momentarily, as the senior who made the decisive blow to his ribcage picked him up, pinning him in his arms. At this point, Marvin didn't care about the negative support he's been getting from the audience around him.

"Hold him still!" Marvin ordered.

The senior grasped onto Hank's waist, letting Marvin freely leave jabs on his open face.

Hank's head swung left and right with every smack. Eventually, after the fourth hit, Hank's vision began to blur. Marvin must've noticed this as well, yet continued to take Hank down with brute force.

Hank's head was filled with terror and pain. Marvin was letting down his offense, and it could be possible that he was trying to **kill** the young freshman. His body was in overdrive, as if it could somehow feel the pure wave of fear Hank was releasing from his brain.

And that's when it happened.

That's when something really, _**really**_, incredible happened.

Hank closed his eyelids, waiting for the next strike to knock him out. When he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes, and was surprised to see that Marvin's fist had slowed down in mid-air. The crowd's cheering had also began lagging as well with Marvin's slowed speed.

Hank couldn't believe it. Marvin was going so damn slow that he could practically see where he was planning to harm him. Quickly regaining control, Hank knew what he had to do.

Just as Marvin's knuckles were only centimeters away from Hank's face, Hank lowered his head at a different angle, letting Marvin accidently hit his friend in the process. Not expecting the overwhelming power Marvin put, the senior fell back and let go of Hank.

Hank was free.

And this slow-motion effect was going to let him kick some ass.

Hank elbowed the senior behind him, and thrust his fist towards Marvin's diaphragm. This was an extremely vital part of the body where a person would take in air, so Marvin had been winded out.

Watching Marvin's facial expression turn from confident to painful was entertaining, if not, humorous to Hank. Hank saw Marvin slowly hit the ground, coughing, and the crowd jumping up in cheers.

It was over!

He had won!

He finally beat the school bully!

…_**not**_…

Hank didn't see that the senior behind him had pulled out a long, wooden baseball bat out of his backpack, and swung it towards the same place the previous lackey kicked him. Hank felt his body scream in agonizing pain, and the slow-motion effect was gone.

Time had sped back up to its normal rate.

Hank hit the floor while Marvin stood up. He held his side in pain, realizing that a few of his ribs must've been broken.

The crowd gasped. Now Marvin was taking it way out of line.

Marvin grabbed the bat his colleague threw at him with one hand. He stared down at Hank, confused at the strange burst of speed he had a few seconds earlier. Ignoring it, disgust began flooding his head, replacing the shock and pain from earlier on.

Hank knew he could go on. That if he had just a few moments to catch his breath like Marvin did, he could still win this fight.

All he needed was that one girl to distract Marvin for just a second to get back up on his feet.

*Hank reached out at the girl he'd just saved with his hand. Instead of helping him, however, the girl gave him a scared look and disappeared in the crowd that had gathered in a semicircle around the combat hotspot.

She had left him to suffer.

After all he did for her.

"I warned you not to fuck with me." Marvin growled as he advanced towards Hank.

Hank began to backtrack as fast as he could, but Marvin, who was not as damaged and on his feet, got to him quicker. Now, Hank's eyes widened as the senior raised his bat over his head. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow–

"Ah, give me a break." Someone said in the crowd, with a clearly audible Russian accent.

"Who the fuck-?" Marvin stopped his assault and looked up, searching for the transgressor.

"Really now, Marvin." That same voice again, now in a chastising manner. Suddenly, something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and picked him up from the ground, so Hank was almost at face level with Marvin. "Five seniors against a single freshie? That's cowardice. At least let him stand up before you go on."

"He's standing now!" Marvin swung his bat at Hank's face, and Hank closed his eyes again, but they snapped open as the new guy's free hand caught the bat amidst its flight, jerked it out of Marvin's hand, and tossed it aside.

"You've beaten him today, even if it's by the fact that you're bigger and there are five of you." The newcomer stepped backwards a few steps, taking Hank with him, and released his grip, causing Hank to crash to the ground. Having done that, the man stepped forward again, allowing Hank to take in the appearance of his savior.

He was dressed in a black trench-coat, navy-blue T-shirt and cargo denim pants. Hank could not see his face as he was standing with his back to him, but he assumed it would be young, to match his voice.

Hank's savior crossed his hands behind his back. "How about you try someone your own size?" He walked over to where the bat was lying on the ground, scooped it up, and tossed it to Marvin, who caught it in surprise. "Here, use your stick if you want to."

Marvin and his henchmen formed an arrowhead formation facing Hank's savior. Marvin spoke.

"You really think you could win against five people? Five _armed_ people?" At the second-to-last word each of the thugs behind him took out his respective weapon: one a long stick, another some brass knuckles, a third a bat like Marvin's.

Hank couldn't see his savior's face, but he could have sworn he was grinning widely when he said: "Yeah… and doesn't that just _**scare you to death?**_""

Marvin and his henchmen surrounded the single figure, with Hank's archenemy leading the assault with a swing of his bat. In response, the man performed a back-flip, and suddenly he was two meters away on one knee; one hand on the ground while the other took shape of a palm in the direction of the crowd.

"Back up people; shit's about to go down." He warned the watchers, and Hank heard a mass of footsteps receding as the crowd took precautions. "Feel free to record."

And then Hank saw combat like he'd never seen before.

The man rolled forwards, coming up on one knee and driving a fist upwards into a henchman's face. A second moved in behind him, and the man stood up, simultaneously driving his elbow backwards, straight into the soon-to-be-victim's stomach. Marvin made another swing from the side, accidentally hitting his already doubled-up comrade as the intended target squatted down for a second before springing upwards to smack Marvin in the jaw.

The fourth's bat hit its mark: the side of the combatant's head. A jolt ran through Hank, and the crowd "_aaah-ed"_. The man dropped to his knees as Marvin got up shakily and approached the rocking figure.

"Yeah, man, shit went down all right. You're shit, and you went down." He raised the bat, just as he had done to Hank. Only this time, the bat went down, and cracked once more against his head. It went down for a third time, but now, the 'victim' came through.

His hand shot up, stopping the bat in mid-air. He jerked the bat out of Marvin's hand, then drove it forwards again, ramming it into his stomach and driving him backwards before standing up as if nothing had happened. The thug behind him raised his bat to strike again, but the man beat him to it, hand lashing out to backhand-slap him across the face hard enough to make him fall to the ground in agony. The crowd roared.

He approached Marvin, who was slowly regaining his wind. "You hit like a bitch." He spoke with a Russian accent, so the 'bitch' sounded like 'beech.' The crowd laughed. Having said his part, the man approached Hank, threw him over his back, and proceeded to leave the scene, the crowd parting before him, cheering to his victory as they did so.

"Who...the fuck…are you?" Marvin had managed to stand up. The crowd turned dead silent, and the man turned.

"_**I'm the party pooper."**_*

Turning back around and leaving, Marvin just stared at the man in disbelief. He had just stolen his prey and was now making him look like a sack of defeated shit on the ground.

Once more, Marvin picked up the wooden bat he had previously used, but just before he could swing it at a point-blank range towards the man's head, he found the melee weapon break into two pieces as it made contact with the man's arm.

_**"Bad idea."**_

Marvin dropped the two broken pieces of thick wood; ready to turn and make a run for it. But before the useless weapon would even hit the ground, the man pumped his fist into Marvin's stomach. Marvin fell forward; out-cold by the extreme power.

The man looked at all the other members of the gang moaning and groaning in pain on the floor.

"Would anyone of you motherfuckers want another shot at me?"

Each of them shook their heads quickly, tired of the pain.

The man nodded in satisfaction, and carried Hank once more over his shoulder. The crowd eventually focused on the five cowards who had lost the fight even with their dirty tricks.

Marvin wasn't going to hear an end to this disaster…

* * *

After walking a couple of blocks, the man saw a car parked in the distance. He took shotgun and sat down next to the driver. The driver had jet-black hair, green eyes, dark blue jeans, a black shirt under a black hoodie with skull designs on it, combat boots, and grey gloves. There were also some noticeable scars on his body as well.

"Well, you've got him. Now what?" The driver questioned.

The man shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just keep watch over him at an alleyway until he wakes up. We can't bring him back to the Agency yet; he won't give up his freedom that easily."

The driver looked at his partner, puzzled. "I expected more from you Mikhail, than just that."

The man, who was Mikhail, grinned. "Where were you then Shane, when I was taking down five eighteen year-olds at once?"

The driver, Shane, shook his head. "Do you really have to bring violence into the equation whenever you're on a mission?"

"Only when it's necessary." Mikhail assured. He pulled out a stick of gum.

"Gum?" he offered.

Shane waved him off. "I'm fine, thank you."

Mikhail unwrapped the stick. "More for me then."

As Mikhail chewed down on his treat, Shane saw the teenager he brought with him in the backseat of the car.

"That's the kid right? Hank Shawnson?"

Mikhail nodded. "Believe me; it's a real pain in the ass looking after this boy. He just can't stop getting himself into trouble with people bigger than him."

Shane frowned. "Well I can see why; the kid barely has any muscle on him! Why the hell would The Higher Powers want a runt like him?"

Mikhail leaned back on his seat. "I think I know why, but you won't believe it. The kid apparently has bullet-time."

"What!? How's that even possible!?"

"I don't honestly know, but even without any formal training from the past, he fights pretty well for his age. It wasn't until the bastards starting playing nasty that I had to break in and save his ass in front of everyone." Mikhail replied.

Shane sighed, "Well, I suppose there could be a chance that there's more to him than just…**this**." He agreed, referring to Hank's not-so-attractive physical form.

After making sure the car was heated up and ready, he faced Mikhail.

"Where to?"

Mikhail rolled his head around his neck.

"Somewhere near the orphanage, but not too close, where we can hide the kid until he wakes up."

Shane nodded and drove off, not realizing that the future of the whole planet was unconscious in his car.

* * *

Two men ran up behind an orphanage and hid from visibility. They were both wearing black shades and suits.

"Alright, just like The Sheriff said. Let's light this bitch up." One of them told the other.

The second man nodded, lighting a match. The orphanage was made mostly of wood, so it would catch on fire very quickly.

Throwing the match through a window, he crouched back down to his partner, giving him a thumbs-up.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and the two of them were face-down on the dirt. They stood back up, blinded.

"Jebus fucking Christ! What the hell did you do!?"

"I don't know man! Must've accidently thrown it near the gas-tank or something!"

"Well let's get the fuck out of here before someone spots us!"

The second man nodded, ready to flee until he realized a crucial part of his headgear was gone.

_The glasses_.

The man frantically searched the ground for what he lost. Unfortunately for him, it must've flew off his face from the blast. His partner turned around.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" he whispered sharply.

"My glasses! I lost them!"

"Who gives a shit about the glasses! Let's just get the hell out of here!"

"But-"

**"NOW!"**

The second man scanned the terrain once more for any sign of what he lost. Sighing, he followed his ally after giving up on his search. Nobody realized they were at the scene escaping, since they were all too busy staring at the burning orphanage and calling 911.

But there were people still inside.

_**Including Julia.**_

* * *

**A/N: **Oh fuck. This was the longest chapter I've ever written so far. 6,000 words…that's just going overboard!

I really don't want to increase the word-count here, so let me credit the Reviewers A.S.A.P.

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

**DodgeStreaker**: Thank you for the support! I'm sorry this took so long though, but I think you can understand why, judging from the word count. I'm glad you liked all the twists from the previous chapter; those were just there to spice things up!

I hope to see the next chapter of your fic too! :)

* * *

**DJ Anderson-Madness For Life:** Wow, that's real deep to hear bro. Yeah, and I can understand that too. But like I said before, Hank's life does get better eventually, so he just has to go through this gravel road to his salvation.

Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Sacrom574:** Thanks! It means a lot to hear those compliments come from you! And as for the adjustments, I want to worry about them later. Right now, I just want to finish the large list of fics on my head, and then we'll talk about making things epic!

Also, I appreciate the contribution you put in this chapter. Thanks dude. The 1,000 words you gave me really did make things easier.

* * *

**Kagami:** Thanks for sticking around buddy! I hope you liked the payback Marvin took from Chapter 9! Sorry for the slow update. I've just been trying to calm down for a few days from schoolwork, but I will get back to writing whenever I can!

I'm glad you also give your sympathy for the victims of the Connecticut shooting. Although it doesn't affect most of us directly, I think it's the right thing to show our respects for the people who suffer from it. Thank you for caring, and I hope you stick around for more.

* * *

That's it. I know it's shorter than usual, but the word-count is too massive in this chapter, and I just don't want to make it anymore worse. I was planning to put a little extra here as well, but 6,000 is just too much to handle in one passage.

And now, O.C. Credits:

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

** Agent574/Mikhail **by Sacrom574

**Shane** by DodgeStreaker

* * *

O.C. Credits: Done! I wanna give a special thanks to "_billytheixi_" on Deviantart. She supported me by saying she enjoyed Final Salvation, and although she couldn't do it here, I appreciate her words greatly! Yes, I've posted my stories on Deviantart, but it's only the first three chapters of Final Salvation. I'll work on everything else later, but I suggest all of you guys focus on what's going on over here rather than over there.

Also, another special thanks to _"Gibb50"_ on Newgrounds. I just talked to him the other day about the Revolution, and he was all in the idea. Unfortunately, he doesn't use this site, so he couldn't join, but many thanks to you too for listening!

You can check out both their works on their sites!

As for Nikolai247, I honestly believe that he is officially dead. He hasn't said a word for two months ever since I begged him to PM me, and there is no sign of life from him ever since. I don't know what will become of "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction" since it's just sitting there as a one-shot, but I suppose that I shouldn't rush to conclusions and finish it myself. After all, maybe there could be a chance Nikolai could come back and start on Chapter two of his fic. Maybe…

Okay, enough. I don't want this chapter to reach 7,000 words by the time it's done. That's enough madness for today. I'll hopefully see you guys soon, and I will start on my schoolwork early so I can focus on this more clearly. Thank you all for being so patient and I'm so sorry for this being so late. I hope the word count makes up for my absence, and I'll see you all later.

Thanks guys, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	11. A Bargain That Starts a Legend

**_Quicknote:_****_ All dialogue said by Mikhail/Agent574 is by Sacrom574. Special thanks goes to him for editing/correcting the errors in the first and last parts of this chapter._**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Bargain That Starts a Legend

* * *

Hank's eyes shot open as soon as he heard the voices.

Instead of being face-to-face with Marvin the Jackass, Hank found himself in a dark alleyway with two men; one of which was staring at him as he sat, and the other keeping a watchful eye around their location.

"Good morning, sunshine." The man nearest to him said conversationally. Hank recognized him by his Russian accent and navy-blue themed attire as the guy who'd kicked Marvin's ass.

"You're the motherfucker that's been stalking me all this time!" Hank accused.

"Da." Mikhail replied with a nod. Hank's profanity seemed ineffective.

"I knew it! I wasn't imaging things! You were just fucking with me, weren't you?" Hank shouted back.

"Well," Mikhail started, standing up. "I wouldn't say that. I would say it's more of...kinda…_**monitoring**_."

"Monitoring, my ass. Where the hell am I?" Hank questioned.

"In an alleyway about five or six blocks away from the orphanage. Sorry, we sorta can't be seen with you, otherwise people would get the wrong idea and shit could go down." The man keeping watch some distance away, spoke.

Hank shook his head, but then cringed suddenly as he felt the bruises from the fight earlier before burn on his ribcage. Hank's eyes widened as he remembered the battle.

"Where's Mar-?"

"Taken care of. But for further notice, please don't try to start any bullshit. Okay?" The Russian replied.

Hank stared at him with the realization that the guy wasn't some creepy stalker flashing through his mind. He must apparently be looking _after_ him. But why?

"Why the fuck are you following me?" Hank said sharply.

"That, comrade, is classified as of now. I didn't figure I'd be seeing you so soon, like this, after our last run-in at the station, but judging from what has happened in the last several hours you teenagers try very hard to get into trouble." Hank's 'captor' responded.

Once again, the Russian left Hank in dead silence. Hank frowned.

"Piss off you Russian asshole. I don't need your eyes following me everywhere I go."

In response to Hank's cursing, the man only shrugged. "I'm unable, Mr. Shawnson. Not in my power."

"Oh, and who exactly does have this 'power'?"

"Classified intel, sorry."

"I want answers, not your 'classified' shit."

"You'll get what you want, later." the Russian assured him.

"If you don't listen to what I'm telling you, then I swear to God, I'll go and tell the whole world about the creep who just can't keep his eyes off of me for a second."

"You'll _try_." his captor replied. "And then I'm gonna have to kill you."

Hank lay there, shocked. Did he just threaten him? And after all the retarded bullshit he just put him through?

"You can't do that. You'll-"

"Commit murder? Murder is only a word. There are two types of people in this world, comrade: those who have proven themselves of worth, and those who are liabilities. I take care of the liabilities. And I'm more than certain the brass will have zero problems with me killing a teenager, if he plans to compromise our position." Mikhail calmly stated.

Hank clenched his fists. He hated having no power in an argument, and hated to let life keep hitting him on like this.

Suddenly, he smelled smoke.

Hank turned his head behind him. His eyes widened.

**The orphanage was on fire.**

Mikhail looked at where Hank's line of view was. He narrowed his eyes.

When the Russian's partner saw the epidemic, his eyes widened.

"Jebus H. Christ…look at the size of that fire! If somebody doesn't come and take it out soon, the whole neighborhood will go to flames!" He shouted.

That was enough to make Hank go over the edge.

Hank vaulted upwards, shoving the second man away to the side, who didn't expect the sudden movement and stumbled, but before he could grab the collar of the teenager's shirt from escaping, the Russian grabbed onto his wrist.

"Don't. Even if we try, we won't be able to stop it, not with _that_ going on." The Russian said, firmly.

"But Mikhail! Hank will tell everybody that we kidnapp-"

"He won't. Honestly, Shane, he has better shit to do at the moment." Mikhail told his comrade, nodding toward the flames in the distance.

Shane sighed and loosened the tension in his body. As soon as he did so, Mikhail let his hand out of his tight grip.

"The Sheriff. That bastard did it, didn't he?" Shane asked Mikhail.

Mikhail nodded. "He's getting quite desperate to get rid of that Shawnson boy now. Burning a building full of orphans…the man's gone fucking _crazy_."

Shane suddenly felt himself go rigid again. "Then shouldn't we follow him!? What if he goes and gets himself killed?!"

To Shane's surprise and shock, Mikhail chuckled and pulled out a stick of gum. "I'm sure he's got more than enough sense to stop himself before he explodes into flames. And the Sheriff won't make a move; that is obvious. Killing him with his agents in plain sight is suicide for the A.A.H.W.'s reputation." He popped the piece of gum into his mouth, crumpled up the wrapper, and reached for a second stick.

Shane shook his head at Mikhail's calmness to all the chaos running amok.

"What now?" he asked once more.

Agent 574 munched on the combination of two pieces of gum. "Now, we wait. Let Hank figure out on his own that The Sheriff did this. We cannot persuade him to join us unless he sees it for himself. He's not a retard, Shane. He's clever for his age, if not, brilliant. Scored 200 on an IQ examination. That's the largest IQ ever recorded on this _planet_ for someone his age."

"God, I hope you're right Mikhail. The Higher Powers will not be happy if we fuck up." Shane stated worriedly.

"I got this, man. Don't worry; **I'll be back for him later."**

* * *

Hank couldn't remember the time he ran this fast before in his entire life. A mixture of worry and fear combined with the pain he felt from the injuries he suffered.

Hank broke through a light that clearly said not to cross the road. But he didn't care. Besides, there were no cars on the road.

Because everyone was too busy watching the raging fire in the orphanage.

There was a huge crowd of people in front of the inferno, watching the spectacle in awe. Hank stopped, breathing heavily for air. The whole building was ready to fall any moment now, but there still weren't any firefighters in sight.

Now, Hank was enraged. Where the hell are the people who were supposed to take care of catastrophes like this? This was all The Sheriff's fault; if he hadn't cut spending for the community, then things like these won't ever happen.

Hank looked around. He felt his chest sink when he realized Julia was nowhere in sight.

Seeing Julia's co-worker, Evan, Hank ran up to him.

"Where's Julia!?" Hank shouted over the commotion the crowd was making.

Evan stared at him. Hank didn't notice until they were face-to-face that he was crying.

"Sh-she went back for one of the infants we forgot…We haven't seen her for over ten minutes…"

That one sentence just made Hank's nightmare even worse.

He gazed at Evan, waiting for more. When he realized he was done, he opened his mouth to say something back.

"And you just stood here!? Doing NOTHING!?"

"I…I had to take care of the children outside with Anne…We can't just leave them out here in the cold." Evan defended.

Although Evan was telling the truth, Hank was too engulfed in his emotions to reason with him. He gritted his teeth.

_**"You COWARD!"**_

Hank turned away and ran off into the flames before anyone could stop him. As soon as he ran in, he felt the air get hotter, and his lungs felt tighter than before, like they were being squeezed. The smoke was blinding, and tears began to come out of his eyes from the atmosphere.

But worst of all, everything was consumed by red and orange flames.

Hank began to cough, but kept his strength up.

"Julia! Where are you!?" Hank called out.

Hank heard part of the orphanage collapse from what used to be the living room. Using his prior knowledge, Hank remembered that the orphanage kept the few infants they had at the second floor.

Hank ran up the stairs and through the flames. It burned like Hell, **literally**, but Hank didn't care.

He had to find Julia.

Hank stumbled as part of the weakened floorboard collapsed beneath his feet. He regained his composure and ignored the burn marks all over his body.

"Julia!" he called out once more.

The only thing he could hear was the crackling of fire around him. Hank felt his head get dizzy. If he doesn't find her now and goes unconscious, he'll die with her.

More of the house collapsed behind him. Just as all hope seemed lost, Hank heard crying.

**From a baby.**

Hank ran into a nearby room. His heart jumped when he saw Julia, but it fell when he saw she was in clear pain. A large chunk of wood was on top of her, but she seemed to be shielding the little child she had in her arms from the intense blaze around the two of them.

"Julia!" Hank shouted as he ran to her aid. Using all the force he had in his body, Hank pushed off all the debris crushing her.

To Hank's relief, Julia began coughing; a sign that she was alive, although barely. But she was still alive, and that's what counts.

"H...Hank? What are you…doing here?" Julia asked as she turned slowly towards him. Her face was completely covered in ash.

Hank turned her over to her back. But to his fright, she screamed out in pain. The baby cried only louder.

After turning her back to her front, Hank knew with utter horror and dread what was going on.

**There was something wrong with her spine.**

Hank felt like he was about to cry. "Julia…it's okay…I'll get the both of you out of here, and we can pretend like this never happened…"

Julia tried shaking her head, but failed as she coughed even more soot out of her lungs. "Hank…you have to…leave with…the baby. Don't worry about…me…I can't…move…"

Hank frowned. "No way! I'm not leaving you! No matter what!"

Julia was annoyed by Hank's disobedience. Although she wanted to yell at him, her voice still came out as a weak whisper.

"Listen to me…you can't save…the both of us…so just leave me here…and go…"

Hank swung Julia's arm around his shoulder and held the baby with his right arm. To his dismay, Julia felt limp like a rag doll.

But he was still confident in saving her with the child.

**"Watch me."** he confidently told her.

Hank began treading back to the entrance, feeling the heat intensify with every step. His vision was getting hazy, but he was so close to getting out that he couldn't just give up now.

* * *

After a lot of struggle, he finally got the two of them out of harm's way by going outdoors. Evan ran up to Hank and carried the baby to Anne. She tried to calm it down after all the horrible things he witnessed.

Then, Hank fell like a dead fish; coughing and gasping for some fresh air as he let go of Julia. His whole body was burning from the burns he got on the outside and even in places like his throat and lungs.

Still breathing like he had just ran a marathon; Hank pushed himself up with what little strength he had left in himself. Then, he turned to Julia.

Hank tried looking for her pulse, but his hopes died out as he realized he couldn't find one from her.

Hank kept searching again and again, failing each and every time. The color was visibly draining out of his caretaker's face and she didn't even seem like she was breathing.

"No…" he muttered under his breath as he started giving her CPR the best he could. Hank felt useless. Either he was doing it wrong, or she really was gone, because nothing was working.

Suddenly, Hank began hearing footsteps. He didn't need to turn to see that the firefighters and the paramedics had finally come to the rescue after so long.

Hank forced himself to pull away from Julia as a man in a white coat quickly rushed to Julia. With one glance, he could already see she was in critical condition, and had to be carried to the hospital, _**fast**_.

Hank hopelessly watched as the man carried her back to the ambulance. His assistant went over to Hank.

"Are you alright?" the second man asked him.

Without a reply, Hank gently pushed him away and began limping towards the man holding Julia. Once more, the assistant came up to him.

"Listen kid, you have to calm down. You could really hurt yourself. We can treat those wounds in the hospital. Just don't push yourself over the edge."

Hank stopped and faced the assistant.

**"If you think for one fucking millisecond that I'm just going to leave her like that, then don't even talk to me."** he told him harshly.

The assistant was taken aback by Hank's words. Never had he ever been rejected by someone in such poor condition, especially from a teenager.

Sighing, he let Hank ride on the ambulance beside Julia. Hank didn't turn back to the orphanage. It had just collapsed a few minutes after he rescued Julia and the baby.

Hank slowly looked at the men working on Julia frantically to keep her alive. He didn't care about the fact that his house had just burned down, or the pain that built up on his body from all the bruises and cuts life keeps throwing at him.

All he wanted to do now was to stay by Julia's side.

* * *

It had been four hours since the fire. Hank sat down on a chair outside of Julia's room. After operating on her for three hours, they did a final check-up to see if things had gone for the better or for the worse.

Hank glanced through the window. It was nightfall. Time seems to go by so fast when you're too busy worrying about someone.

Hank rubbed his face from tiredness. The day's events were all snowballing against him. In the hospital, they had not only treated the wounds he gained from the rescue-attempt, but also the physical injuries he sustained from Marvin and his gang. The doctors never questioned a thing, because they thought the damage was all caused by the fire. Now, Hank was covered in bandages from wherever he was mutilated by human hands and fire.

From the start, Hank knew that he was a quick healer; Julia even told him herself. It was a strange genetic gift along with his incredible mind, but it seemed as though the blessings barely made anything better.

He could only pray that Julia had that same healing ability just like him.

While Hank was engrossed in his thoughts, he heard the door click open next to him. Hank quickly stood up, wanting to know her status.

"Well? How is she?" Hank asked in anticipation.

The doctor stared at Hank for a few seconds, mesmerized that this teenage orphan cared so much about someone who didn't even have anything to do with his family.

Then, he bit his lip.

"…I'm sorry…the damage is…**fatal.**"

Hank inhaled more air than his chest could handle.

Fatal.

Julia…is going to **die**?

The doctor sighed at Hank's reaction. "You may…see her if you like. But she doesn't have much time left…"

He walked away, ready to get a body-bag. Hank wasn't mad at him. He was just doing his job. And this was probably the hardest part of being responsible for so many lives of so many people.

Hank wanted to fall on his knees and cry. To cry like there's no tomorrow, and as if it would solve his problems. But crying doesn't solve anything.

He had to go see her before she would...leave him forever.

Hank found himself breathing in and out rapidly, like he was about to burst. Calming himself down, he walked into the room.

* * *

The first thing he saw was just whiteness. The walls, the bed-sheets, and even the bed itself were just white. Hank remembered he learned the reason why a hospital does this in biology class, mainly regarding health, but nonetheless, it made him angry. To him, all of it was still hopeless.

After shoving the curtains away, he was finally able to see Julia's face. Hank felt sick to his stomach.

The left half of Julia's face was a huge, burned scar, and she was kept on her stomach on the bed, because she would die from her damaged spine touching the mattress.

Hank must've made some kind of sign of his arrival, because just then, Julia opened her eyes slowly and turned her head to his direction.

"Is that you Hank…?"

Hank made a weak nod as his response.

Julia made a light smile. "I'm so glad you care about me so much…that you came to visit…"

Hank made a small gulp. Every second he would spend in this room is torture.

Although Hank did his best to hide his nervousness, Julia could still feel his anxiety. She blinks slowly.

"You can take a seat if you want…"

Hank looked beside him to find a chair. He pulls it out and sits beside her bed.

Hank opened his mouth, but closed it shut. He wasn't sure what to say anymore, and he was shaking so bad that it felt like he had caught a bad case of the flu.

Finally gaining the guts to speak, he began.

"The doctor told me your wounds are fatal…" Hank said very quietly.

Julia did something of what looked like a nod. "You didn't have to tell me that for me to figure it out...I already knew from the start that it was over…I really can't feel any part of my body anymore…You just gave me some more time to tell you how much I loved you…"

Hank couldn't take it. He felt like a jerk for all the times he pushed her away whenever she tried to help him. Whenever she tried to make a bond with him.

But now it was too late.

And here he is, sitting at the deathbed of the only person who cared about him.

Hank gripped his knees tightly. "I…I don't know what to say or do anymore Julia…I'm so sorry…you were the only person who really did care about me…"

Julia smiled. "It's okay Hank. You don't have to be sorry. I was never mad at you. I always loved you and I still do. You were…like a son to me. A son I never had…"

Hank felt his eyes moisten. He wiped them off with the sleeve of his shirt.

Instead of him replying, Julia continued.

"…You wanted to know, didn't you?"

Hank lifted his head up to see her.

"…You wanted to know…about the secret I kept from you that day…right?"

The memory hit Hank like a rock.

* * *

_"It's just like he said...they really were going to do it..." she spoke quietly to herself, not realizing that Hank had overheard her._

* * *

"Julia, it's okay. I don't care anymore about that. You don't have to tell me-"

"No." Julia cut Hank off. "I need to tell you, because it's not right if I didn't. I can't let you wonder for the rest of your life."

Hank decided to be quiet for once, and let her speak to him.

Grabbing his attention, she quickly began.

"His name…the one I called 'he' that day…was Jason. I can't honestly remember what was his last name…but his face is still fresh in my memory. We were young. Very young. The both of us were the same; we were both orphans that ran away from our caretakers together when they weren't looking."

Hank was surprised. Julia was an orphan? Why didn't he ever know about it?

"…Jason and I were the closest of friends ever since we got to know each other. We were nine when our friendship began, but for some strange reason, we never left each other's side, and we were only friends with each other. Nobody else. Just us."

"Four years had passed, and I had trusted him more than any other person in the world. But then, he woke me up in the middle of the night once, and told me that he was going to leave the orphanage for good."

"Scared out of my mind to see my only friend leave, I told him that I would join him if he was going to go. At first…he said no, because he thought I couldn't handle life outside the orphanage. But then, I told him that I would scream right then and there if he wouldn't agree to let me escape with him. And so…Jason agreed. I was thirteen at that time, and he was fourteen."

"It was hard at first, after we finished all of our supplies and just got tired of running away from the police taking us back home. But Jason was smart; he knew how the roads worked in Nevada, and was always able to get us anywhere safely and quickly. Also, he had a few questionable tricks up his sleeves when it comes to stealing food from the grocery store around the corner, but his top priority was keeping me happy. Always."

"One night though, when we were asleep at a nearby park, we heard gunshots. I was frightened to death, but Jason seemed excited. He told me to wait where I was, and left to join the fight. Afterwards, he did come back twenty minutes later, but told me that he actually got a job with the organization called the A.A.H.W. Jason was really happy about it, because that meant that we could actually get the money to finally live normal lives. In fact, Jason promised me that one day, when we grow old enough, he'll buy us a house, and we can live there together. Not only as friends, but as something much bigger…**husband and wife.**"

Julia made a wide honest grin. "After he told me that, he gave me our first kiss. I was so happy that I just couldn't believe it. I never realized until he told me that I loved him. Jason told me he would be gone only for a couple of hours to talk to the man we all know as The Auditor. He also said he was working with him on something called the…'Improbable Drive'…I think? I'm not honestly sure, but he said that they could use him to help change the world for good. He said they were even thinking about using it to change the course of nature."

Hank finally understood. That last sentence was the part Julia was referring to on that dark day she stared out of the window.

Then, Julia's smile had melted away into a look of pure sadness and depression. "…But…I wish I knew it would be our last time together, so I could've stopped him from leaving me."

Hank looked down at the floor. Regret: it's the one thing that everyone feels at one point of our lives. We say, "What if I had…?" all the time, but that never changes anything in the present.

Just like how Julia would still be dead, no matter how much he regrets.

"Jason never came back after that. I waited for two days, sitting at that same spot, and eating the food Jason gave me. Then, when I ran out, I quickly went to go get more, and always went back to that spot. But he would never come."

"It didn't take long for my lack of skills to catch up with me. Unlike Jason, Nevada was a jungle to me, and I couldn't get my food from other people like he could. I was caught a week later, and got thrown back into the orphanage. I had turned fourteen on my 6-month runaway plan with Jason, but some of the others heard about what I did with him. They always told me that he had probably left me for another girl, or just ditched me right then and there, thinking I was dead weight. But I knew they're wrong. And I still know it. I've stayed single all this time, waiting for Jason to come back to me one day as the caretaker of the orphanage we both grew up in. To always remember each other, we each kept half of a heart-shaped pendant that Jason stole with us. So if we ever do meet up one day, we'll know." Julia finished.

Hank looked at the small golden pendant on the desk beside her. Sure enough, it was split in half, and by the looks of it, Julia seemed to have taken real good care of the memento.

Julia sighed. "And that's it. I hope it helped clear things up."

Hank sat there, taking in all the information she threw at him. Was this why she was able to connect with him best in the orphanage? Because she was there herself when she was younger?

Putting that thought off for later, Hank nodded. "Yes. It did. Thank you Julia. And I'm sorry things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to be."

Julia made a small beam at him. "Oh, it's okay Hank. There are still some good things that came out of it. If I had gone off with Jason forever, then I wouldn't have met a bright, gifted boy like you. In fact, you remind me of Jason so much, that I don't really feel so lonely anymore when I'm with you."

Hank forced a smile on his face. But then, it had rapidly vanished, and twisted into a facial expression of pain and agony.

And then the tears came.

Julia watched Hank silently. She never saw him cry before in her entire life, but watching one of the strongest-hearted people she knew just collapse was depressing.

"Julia…Please, don't leave me yet…I really can't live without you…" he begged.

"Hank…"

"Where am I supposed to stay? My only home had burned down, my father and mother are dead, and now you're going to pass over too…You were the only person who ever cared about me in this world…I don't have anyone left…"

Julia closed her eyes. She was crying too.

"You'll have to go to a different state Hank. That was the only orphanage in all of Nevada thanks to The Sheriff. I'm sorry but you have to move on."

"No!" Hank cried out. "I don't want to feel anymore change in my life! The past week had been full of that fucking bullshit! I want to stay, with you."

Although Julia couldn't feel it, Hank grabbed her hand.

"Please…"

"Hank…I'm sorry, but you have to go. I wish I could stay. I really do. Of course I'm not as happy about his as you are. But I'm not going to live long; we both know that." she reasoned.

"Please…" Hank begged once more with a sob.

"…Hank?"

Hank listened to her.

"…Promise me you'll do great things when you grow up. You have such a great gift, so don't waste it groaning and moaning all the time. Please Hank, just this one thing. Promise?"

With a tight squeeze, Hank slowly nodded.

"I swear I will Julia."

Julia smiled, but then coughed. She gasped for air, but it seemed it would be her last.

"…I wish I could see you grow up…I wish I could see Jason's face just one last…time…"

And then, Julia went limp. Even though the life support showed her heart had flat-lined with a high pitched beep, Hank already knew.

**Julia was gone.**

Hank just sat there, still disbelieving how easy and fast it was to lose someone so close to you. How Julia had just disappeared one day after his birthday.

Hank let go of his now lifeless caretaker, cupped his face in his hands, and began to weep. It wasn't until thirty seconds later that he realized someone was behind him, watching all this time.

**_"She's gone."_**

Hank turned his head sideways slightly to hear the man more clearly, though to him it was obvious who the watcher was: Mikhail, Hank's stalker-guardian.

"Leave her. There's nothing you can do at this point, and crying over her body won't change anything." Mikhail told Hank. In place of his standard attire he had donned a navy-blue suit instead. He looked fairly innocent, like someone going to prom or an interview, though Hank was sure there'd be a weapon under there somewhere.

Hank stood up, sweeping the contents of the nearby desk crashing onto the floor in anger. The subsequently-generated sound would have made any other flinch, yet Mikhail stood rock-still amidst the mess.

"How could you even THINK something like that you heartless son of a bitch! She was the only goddamn person who cared about me in this UNIVERSE! What gives you the right to say something like this! It's not like you know how it feels to lose someone so close to you in a blink of an eye!" Hank screamed.

And quite suddenly, the only perceivable sound was Hank's heavy breathing. After ten seconds, Mikhail switched his stone-cold gaze from Hank's face to the floor. When he looked up, it had softened, considerably.

"You and I, we're not so different. We've both lost something because of the same person. Group of _people, _to be exact." Mikhail said, quietly.

Hank stood there, frozen and dumbfounded. From the same group of people? Was this whole incident not an accident?

"Wait…then who did this?" Hank asked, a hint of rage in his voice.

Mikhail sighed. "The A.A.H.W."

More silence. Hank turned away from Mikhail and back to Julia's corpse.

"I don't believe you."

Mikhail pulled out something from his pocket.

"Do you see these?"

Hank looked at him, then at the object in his hand – a pair of black shades.

"Yeah, they're sunglasses. So what?" He turned back to stare at Julia's corpse.

"These are not just sunglasses. This model is worn by A.A.H.W.'s 1337 agents – a type of soldier that the A.A.H.W. had very recently developed…or, better to say, upgraded. I found these at the side of the orphanage."

"That still doesn't mean anything. Anyone could have black shades and just drop them at the side of the building." Hank reasoned.

Mikhail angrily exhaled. "Dammit, Hank... This fire wasn't caused by someone leaving the oven on. _This was fucking arson_. Somebody had chucked a match into the gas pipe of the building."

Hank's eyes widened. Arson? Why didn't The Sheriff say anything about this, or even notice such huge clues from the start?

"But that doesn't make any sense…why didn't The Sheriff-"

"The Sheriff," Mikhail interrupted, "didn't do anything about it because he ordered his men to start the fire."

Something had snapped in Hank's head. What this guy he barely even knew was saying did seem logical.

And that just made him go crazy.

Hank tried to shove Mikhail backwards, but no matter how hard he tried he could not move the man from his position at the foot of Julia's bed. After a couple of seconds Mikhail grabbed his hands.

"I know what you're thinking, and it won't work, I speak you from experience. One does not simply go and kill The Sheriff. If you barge in and pull out a knife, he'll have a legit reason to kill you, just like how Jebus killed your father."

Hank blinked and stopped struggling. Wait, exactly how much did this man know about? And how did he learn that Darren Wimbleton was his father?

Mikhail released Hank's hands, and the teenager returned them to his sides.

"Why did he do this then?" Hank asked, quietly.

"He was trying to kill you. Unfortunately for him, you were too busy getting your ass kicked by Marvin so you were too late to get home when the fire started." Mikhail explained.

"Kill me!? He wants to kill me!? But there's no-"

"Reason why? Wrong. After you scored 200 on the IQ test your caretaker gave you, the government was alerted, the A.A.H.W. and The Sheriff as well. That is why all these events against you are happening so fast; the A.A.H.W. is planning to kill you before you join us - the Anti-A.A.H.W." Mikhail finished.

Now, Hank was confused. It wasn't the IQ test score that had puzzled him; he couldn't care less about it now. But…the Anti-A.A.H.W. was a myth, wasn't it?

"So, now do you get why I've been following you all this time?" Mikhail said, "The Anti-A.A.H.W. knew that you were supposed to be the one factor to change the tide of this war, to save humanity from The Auditor's destruction. The man is not building a better world, Hank. The man is destroying this one to make his own tyrannical empire. The A.A.H.W. was just much slower in seeing that Hank Shawnson was the one we were looking for."

"So now, you have a choice. Either you stay and die, or you can join us and avenge your beloved Julia Shawnson. The A.A.H.W. will not stop their conquest in eliminating those they see as a threat to their goal. I–…**_we_** can train you to fight, train you to kill, so you can go and do your avenging. This comes at a price, though. Once you join, you can't go back. Recruitment is the point of no return…at least to normal society."

Hank felt his mouth hang open a bit. This was life-changing. He could finally find someone to train him and to fight for someone who had been wrongfully taken away from him.  
But he wasn't confident about it. Leaving society? For good? This was not some summer camp; this was **war** Mikhail was talking about.

"I'm…I'm not sure…" Hank said quietly.

The expression upon Mikhail's face was one of exasperation, and surrender.

Mikhail pointed at Julia. "What if I told you I know someone who can bring her back? Not as a zombie, but as a human being like everyone else."

Hank felt his heart skip a beat. Was this man lying? He didn't seem like the lying type of person, and Hank's definitely sure Mikhail wasn't here to bullshit him.

"That's not possible. People from the dead, stay dead. That's how life works." Hank argued.

"True," Mikhail agreed, "However, I know that there's a way. But again, this comes with a price. If we were to bring someone outside the Agency back, then they and society will have no memory of their death, or memory of the person that had left them to join our cause. But I promise you: join us and she will return. If not, then she will stay dead. This is a very risky decision, so I suggest you cut the crap and give me your choice before the brass becomes too impatient."

Hank was excited yet fearful. Julia coming back to life without remembering him? Without anybody remembering him? He needed more time to decide. More time to decide whether or not he'll sacrifice his future for Julia's sake, and for the future of mankind. But time wasn't on his side today.

Never had been, and probably never would be.

Hank knew what he had to do. Julia had given him so much in her life; so much of her time and effort dedicated to making Hank's life so much more bearable in the pool of crap he swam in.

Now, it was time to return the favor.

Hank inhaled deeply. "… I've made my choice."

Mikhail glanced at Hank with interest, crossing his arms.

**_"...I'm going to join the Anti-A.A.H.W. as long as you bring her and the orphanage back. And I'm willing to accept the consequences of my actions." _**

Mikhail grinned. Finally, at long last, he had accomplished his mission.

"Very well. Let's go, s' high time you met the peeps I was tellin' you about." Mikhail informed him.

Hank nodded. He walked out of the hallway and saw a doctor wearing a mask over his face ready to collect Julia's corpse.

With one last look at the man and Julia's body, Hank wiped off the tears on his face and closed the door behind him.

**"Goodbye Julia."**

And thus, will begin Hank's story.

_**Thus will begin his Legacy.**_

* * *

A/N: Shit, 6,300 words. I'm overkilling my chapters now. But you know what? Fuck it. I don't care. Every chapter will be as long as I want them to be so that they can put in the epicness I promised all of you guys.

So, how did you like this chapter? Don't worry; the story is still not over yet. I still haven't used all the great O.C.'s I've received yet. In fact, it's just beginning.

Let's get to Reviewers' Credit.

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credit**_:

_**DodgeStreaker:**_ Hey thanks! Wanted to focus on that the most this chapter, so I'm glad I'm getting positive feedback on it! This was a drama chapter, but I hope you liked it too!

* * *

_**Sacrom574:**_ I'm happy you liked that chapter and pointed out the good parts I focused on a lot! Means a lot to get some positive comments from a good writer like you, and no, you write better when it comes to the meat and details.

Feel free to give me any advice anytime via PM'ing!

* * *

_**DJ Anderson-Madness for Life:**_ It's cool to hear that people are actually visualizing my works as they read it. It does tend to make things more understandable and enjoyable, so thanks for the inspirational support! I hope this chapter was for your taste too!

P.S. I'm thinking 'bout your roleplaying idea for the Revolution, but I'll see if I can make time for it myself.

* * *

_**Kagami:**_ Great to hear from you again dude! It's cool to see that you're getting more and more of Hank's backstory with every chapter!

Happy new year to ya too buddy! :)

* * *

And that's all. Time for O.C. Credits:

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

**Agent574/Mikhail: **By Sacrom574

**Shane:** By DodgeStreaker

**Jason:** By DodgeStreaker's Older Brother

* * *

Got that over with too. Thanks a lot you guys for sticking around and reading, but I'm sorry this took too long to update. Of course, with long dates mean longer chapters! I'm happy with the support so far, and I promise to continue on my works for all fans of Madness Combat to read!

Next chapter might take a while to bring up only because I'm a bit unsure of it and I have midterms. For the rest of the day, I'll work on my homework and just chillax for once. You guys should too! After all, the best feeling in the world is to finish all your work and just be lazy on the bed sometimes (but don't overkill it!).

Special thanks here goes to Sacrom574 who helped with the scene between Hank and Sacrom at the beginning and at the end of this chapter. Thank you so much bro! It really did make things easier!

Thank you all for reading, and I just wanted to say, you guys rock not only for reading, but making my dream come true and my life just a bit more bearable. Fanfiction is one of the very few things I look forward to all the time, and everyone who reads my stuff and appreciates it makes me feel a bit better.

Happy new year to all, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	12. Meeting the Brass

_**Quicknote**_: Mikhail/Agent574's dialogue is by Sacrom574, as well as some modifications he had made to make the chapter more accurate/better sounding. Some parts may have been edited due to the fact that he isn't entirely on this plot or if he recommends any new ideas at the last second, so please keep that in mind.

* * *

Chapter 12: Meeting the Brass

* * *

He looked over the large cliff that towered Nevada in the night sky.

Hank Shawnson had never felt so strangely homesick and anxious before until now. He wondered how the others were taking things after they've learned about Julia's demise. Well, it wouldn't matter now, would it? Because things would go back to normal.

Except Hank wouldn't be joining them.

Snapping back to reality, Hank heard a car horn behind him. He turned around to see the Russian fighter by the name of Mikhail Nikitin impatiently waiting for the teenager to hurry up and get in.

"Come on, how long does a last look take? I already told the brass you're coming with me, and I don't want them to think I'm lying." Mikhail informed him.

Turning back around to take one last good look of his hometown, Hank nodded and silently joined the man into the vehicle. Mikhail stared at the boy for a few seconds, watching him stare out of the window to the endless horizon beside them. Then, he turned back to his front and revved the engine.

The next few minutes of their drive were spent in silence. Hank noticed, however, that Mikhail was driving to a part of Nevada that seemed unfamiliar to him. In fact, as they separated from the city, it seemed as though they had ended up driving into a desert of some sort.

"Where are we?" Hank questioned.

With a chuckle, Mikhail replied, **"Somewhere in Nevada."**

Not quite comprehending what Mikhail meant by that, Hank turned away from him and continued to stare out the window in stillness. It wasn't until another few minutes later that Hank began seeing rock formations around them, like a canyon.

After going deep into this terrain, Mikhail slowed the car down to a halt in front of three large boulders stuck onto the bottom edge of a cliff.

"We're here." Mikhail stepped out of the car, while Hank sat there, dumbfounded.

"What the hell do you mean _'we're here'_? We're in the middle of** NOWHERE**! I don't see shit for miles!"

"Do me a favor and**_ shut up_**?" Mikhail snapped back, his tone much harsher than it had ever been beforehand.

Realizing Mikhail was serious, Hank stopped his ranting. Mikhail turned back to one of the large rocks in front of him, satisfied. He then began feeling the smooth surface with his hands for something.

After finding it (whatever it was), he went back to the trunk of his car, opened it, and pulled out a rifle, which Hank immediately recognized as a Ruger 10/22. Mikhail rammed a round into the chamber, aimed at somewhere on the boulder, and pulled the trigger.

Hank watched in disbelief as the boulders separated, revealing a passageway no larger than an average garage entrance.

Mikhail turned back to Hank (who was too busy staring and gaping at what he just witnessed). It seemed as though the older man had repeated this step so many times before that it no longer had any effect on him.

"Well, come on now. You keep leaving your mouth open like that and you'll catch a cold. And I can't bring a sick boy into the Agency." Mikhail broke off at Hank's moment of astonishment.

Hank quickly closed his lips and made a small yet hesitant nod. In the past week or so, his mind had just been blown away almost entirely from the insanity revolving around his life. He was now following the man who had stalked him for God knows how long, after declining the chance to skip a grade, finding out his dad was a psychotic drug-dealing murderer who was killed right in front of him, ditching school, getting the crap beaten out of him twice by the school bully, and seeing the only person who ever cared about him on this planet die right before his eyes after a raging fire destroyed his home. And now, he was going to a secret base that had just opened up right in front of him like a scene from a movie.

Yep. Typical 16-year-old lifestyle.

Hank stepped out of the car just in time to see that a man had appeared from the entrance into the base. He recognized him as the second man he met earlier before with Mikhail.

The man made a small nod towards Mikhail and stared at Hank. Then, he turned back to Hank's escort.

"The Higher Powers are waiting for your return, Agent 574. You might wanna hurry up before they get too pissed." The man greeted Mikhail.

Mikhail frowned. "You try dealing with a fifteen-year-old for a month and see how well you do, _Shane_."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You said it before; it's a real pain in the ass looking after him. But now's not the time for arguing. Just go and meet them since I can't really stand anymore of their bitching." Shane mumbled.

Hank tried to ignore the conversation over him, but was interested in "The Higher Powers" Shane was referring to. They must be the people Hank was looking for to bring back Julia.

Hank quickly ran in before Shane and Mikhail could stop him. Although Mikhail already knew why he did that, Shane watched Hank go in with shock.

"The hell? That doesn't seem like someone who's a pain in the ass to recruit. I've never even seen someone like him be so excited as to literally run into the base!" Shane commented, surprised.

Mikhail shook his head. "Believe me, he didn't go there because he was happy to. In fact, I'm sure the kid is wishing that he could be at home right now. I had to strike a deal with him just to come."

Shane looked back at Mikhail with some worry visible in his eyes. "What kind of 'deal' are we talking about here?"  
"I told him that I'd make The Higher Powers bring back his caretaker after she died." Mikhail replied.

Shane's mouth fell open. His expression of anxiety had been replaced with sternness.

"Mikhail. You know damn well The Higher Powers won't be happy about this. They practically never revive people who've died. Don't gamble like this; it could cost you your position again."

Mikhail pulled out another stick of gum and placed it into his mouth. "I'm sure The Higher Powers are willing to let this slide. After all, Hank Shawnson is the key to winning over these hostilities. And you have no idea how much that kid really does love his caretaker. He's probably doing all this just for that one woman."

Shane sighed, but went silent.

"Now then, let us escort the young comrade before he gets lost. The Agency is a big place, after all." Mikhail continued.

Shane did not reply, but went to check the spot on the boulder Mikhail had shot moments ago. Now, he was frowning.

"God damn it, Mikhail! Do you always have to shoot the button instead of just pressing it!? Now I gotta fix this stupid piece of crap all over again!"  
Mikhail laughed quietly. "Be grateful I did not choose an AK-47. Besides, you know that's my favorite way of getting shit done."

Although unsatisfied with the answer, Shane calmed down and followed Mikhail inside. As they walked in, Shane turned around to put a lock-down code at the entrance and the boulders slid back together, closing the camouflaged door behind them. Shane would have to worry about the technical problem Mikhail had caused later.

It didn't take long for Mikhail to see where Hank had gone, since he had only traveled three feet until he was blown away by the Agency's size and magnitude.

Mikhail looked down at Hank, who was once again gaping (only wider). He smirked. Every new recruit's reaction was the same the first time they saw the Anti-A.A.H.W.'s base for themselves.

Stepping in front of Hank, Mikhail waved his left hand at the beauty of it all.

**"Welcome to Base 638232, also known as... NEVADA! Home to the Higher Powers themselves!"**

Hank's awestruck eyes scanned the area around him. It was insane. The inside of the base looked like a huge shopping mall with multiple floors. The whole cliff itself was a home to all the fighters in the Agency.

There was just too much to describe. Hank spotted a gym with equipment in incredible shape, a large white room with people fighting inside , a huge room filled with probably 50 copies of just about every gun ever created in the history of mankind, and even a shop to buy personal gear.

_**But that was only the gist of it.**_

Whenever Hank would see incredible works of architecture like bridges, landmarks and such, he would always be fascinated by how someone could've possibly spent the time and patience building all that. But this…this seemed practically impossible, if not, fictional, if his eyes weren't fooling him. How somebody could actually make something inside of a cliff without making it cave in on themselves is a mystery he'd have to solve later. That's probably why the A.A.H.W. never found them; they made a base in the last place they would expect it to be in.

Snapping his fingers, Mikhail cocked his head towards the passageway in front of them.

"Stop staring and get a move on.."

Hank and Shane followed Mikhail as he led them down the hallway. Every few seconds, Hank would see men and women walking around the corridors, stealing puzzled glances at the teenager.

Hank wasn't welcome here.

Finally, the trio came to a stop in front of a massive door the size of a truck. There was lettering inscribed into it, **"THE HIGHER POWERS: DO NOT DISTURB UNLESS CALLED FORTH."**

Mikhail looked at Hank. "You ready, kid?"

Again, Hank nodded nervously.

Mikhail grinned. "Don't be alarmed then from what you see. Remember; they aren't human, so you might want to be prepared for what I'm about to show you."

Hearing silence that confirmed him to go on, Mikhail pressed a button beside him and watched as the large door slowly slid upwards. When it had finally stopped, he calmly walked in alongside Hank and Shane.

* * *

The first thing Hank saw was complete and utter darkness, yet somehow, he could still see Mikhail and Shane even after the door shut itself automatically behind them. Strangely enough though, the room was somehow warm like there was a radiator nearby (although there obviously wasn't any). Eventually, after a few seconds of waiting, Hank saw a pair of giant red eyes twenty feet above them emerge, and then another, and another, and another, and one more until there were about five of them hovering over their heads.

_**These were The Higher Powers.**_

Hank took a step back and stumbled. If he would have to choose what surprised him the most in the past month, then this took the cake by a long-shot. The Higher Powers were five giants that sat…or at least what Hank believed was sitting…in an arc around the room.

"What the hell…?" Hank quietly said to himself.

Ignoring Hank, Mikhail nodded respectfully to his leaders.

"I've accomplished my mission, sir."

One of the pairs of eyes glanced down at the Russian beneath them, squinting.

_**"Good. You have done well Agent 574." **_The large figure congratulated. However, the voice Hank heard sounded like not one, but five men talking at once, creating an ominous and deep tone. And to top that off, none of the figures had mouths either, creating more confusion in Hank's mind as to how they're even communicating with him.

Mikhail stood expressionless. "Thank you, sir."

The pair of blood-red eyes then shifted their view to Hank. Hank felt himself go rigid at the intensity of the gaze.

_**"So, are you the Hank Shawnson we were looking for?"**__**  
**_

The only thing that escaped Hank's throat were choking noises. Shane elbowed Hank in the gut.

"Say something! You've wanted to talk to them after all, didn't you?" Shane cautiously whispered to him.

Realizing he was right, Hank made a confirming gesture.

"Yes… I am." Hank told the five large figures above him.

The figure that had locked eyes with him sat back upright, satisfied.

_**"Do you know why you're here?" **__**  
**_

"Because I've decided to join the Anti-A.A.H.W. and fight against The Auditor's army, right?" Hank answered with an unsure tone.

The red eyes went back on Mikhail. _**"You've already briefed the boy, haven't you?"**__**  
**_

"Affirmative, sir." Mikhail replied. "He wouldn't have even come here if I hadn't explained why in the first place."

_**"That is fine. This just helps make things easier." **__**  
**_

Then, Hank was once again the center of attention.

_**"Hank Shawnson, we apologize for recruiting you at such a young age, but at such desperate times in a war that will seem to end in stalemate, we believed that it would be reasonable to train you earlier than expected."**__**  
**_

Although Hank was unhappy with such a weak answer, he said nothing and let the god-like figures before him continue.

_**"Be prepared though, because the next few years of your life shall be spent in rigorous training and combat missions. There shall be no whining or backtalk of any sort, and, most importantly, desertion. If you plan to leave without our consent any time of any day, regardless of the reason, we will terminate you. Is that clear?"**__**  
**_

"Yes. I understand." Hank agreed.

_**"Excellent. We must, however, go through some special procedures before you get started, but judging from how late it is as of now, we shall initiate this tomorrow. As of now, there is nothing else for you to hear, but to stay for the sake of you and this organization, here. Any questions before we send you to your new quarters?"**__**  
**_

Hank nodded. "Yes. I was promised by your agent, Mikhail, that my caretaker, Julia Shawnson, would be brought back to life if I joined. So… when is this happening?"

The Higher Powers seemed confused. After a few seconds the center figure turned to gaze at Mikhail.

_**"Is this true?"**__**  
**_

Mikhail sighed. "Yes, sir… it is. There was no other way to recruit the teenager other than that since he's so goddamn _stubborn_."

Clearly displeased, the figure made a sound which resembled something of a sigh.

_**"We did not expect you to make such a costly bargain, Agent 574."**__**  
**_

"My bad, sir." Mikhail sounded... embarrassed?

Once they had told Mikhail off, The Higher Powers looked back at Hank.

_**"Well, if this is what you wish for young man, then so be it. However, keep in mind that there are consequences that will follow this action. We assume though that Agent 574 had already informed you of what is in store as well, correct?"**__**  
**_

Hank guessed Agent 574 was Mikhail, and nodded.

_**"Very well then. There is clearly nothing more to say here. We shall begin the resurrection process, but only this once because you are an exception, Hank Shawnson. And if your conduct does not reflect what we expect from you, then be warned that we shall dismiss you whenever we feel is necessary."**_

Hank stood in silence, knowing that they weren't quite done yet. They still haven't fulfilled their side of the bargain.

_**"And now, we shall revive the one you mortals call Julia Shawnson."**__**  
**_

A bit curious to see what was going to happen, Hank watched the dark figures very closely. Their outlines glowed white, and the room became strangely warmer than it had been in the first place.

This process, however, only lasted for about ten to fifteen seconds, and the outlines of The Higher Powers had returned to their natural (Hank figured) state of darkness.

_**"It has been done."**__**  
**_

Hank stared at The Powers. It had happened so... quickly, and easily. It was practically hard to believe.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Hank questioned.

Even The Higher Powers knew that was a good question. There was no way they would just let Hank leave and see it for himself; they didn't want him to change his mind of joining the organization. Then, they thought of something quite evil in motive.

_**"If you do not believe us, they why don't we let Agent 574 here show us a demonstration of the resurrection process as an example?"**__**  
**_

Mikhail's respectful tone and calm posture suddenly melted away. "What!? Why me!?"

_**"Because you're the genius who decided to think up this whole resurrection bargain with Hank, are we correct?"**__**  
**_

Mikhail frowned. "Ugh... fine. But make it quick."

_**"Understood. Shane?"**__**  
**_

Shane stood upright. "Yes sir?"

_**"Please, you may do the honor of killing Agent574 as a demonstration to our new recruit."**__**  
**_

Hank's jaw dropped. They were going to kill Mikhail just to prove their point? Exactly how desperate were they to make him join?

Shane grinned nastily. "As you wish, sir."

Shane pulled out a large weapon from his back; a Norinco 97k 12-gauge shotgun with a reputation of blasting skulls off necks.

Hank and Mikhail's eyes widened. Then, Mikhail gritted his teeth.

"With something smaller, dumbass!"

Shane rolled his eyes and pouted. "Fiiiineee…." He muttered, putting away the shotgun and instead drawing an Uzi.

Mikhail pressed a hand to his face. "Oh for the love of all things pure and innocent... I'll do it myself," he snapped, quickly pulling out a pistol from under his trench coat, pressing it to his temple, and pulling the trigger.

Hank watched Mikhail's brains splatter the floor as his corpse fell back, his eyes widening even more. Shane scowled as he saw his one chance to get revenge for what Mikhail did to the door lost.

_**"Enough foolery. Let us begin once more."**__**  
**_

Once again, Hank gazed at The Higher Powers' outlines glow white, and felt the room becoming warmer. This time though, he saw the room flash white, and Mikhail levitate up in the air. When Mikhail was on his feet again and everyone's vision went back to normal, Mikhail suddenly regurgitated blood.

Mikhail wiped off the red body fluids from his mouth using a conveniently drawn napkin, then glared at Shane, then at Hank, then at the Higher Powers.

**"Not cool."****  
**

The Powers glanced back at Hank. _**"Do you have any other objections?"**_

Hank stood there, gaping. What the hell had just happened? And who are these people?

He had to answer these great beings, so Hank nodded hastily, signaling that he got the point.

_**"This is satisfying to hear. Shane, take our newest member to his living quarters. As for you 574, we thank you for your participation in this experiment."**__**  
**_

"Bloody assholes…" Mikhail grumbled under his breath.

_**"We shall pretend we did not hear that. Good night Hank Shawnson; your training shall initiate tomorrow." **_The Higher Powers concluded.

Hank noticed the room had become much darker than it was before, and The Higher Powers were gone. He had no idea where they went, but judging from what he just witnessed as of now, Hank wasn't going to question it.

"Come on kid, let's go." Shane told him.

* * *

Hank followed Shane out the door alongside an unsettled Mikhail. When they had made it back to the corridors, the large door automatically closed behind them with a thud. Shane led the two of them to a nearby elevator, calling it up.

Mikhail checked the clock stuck on the wall nearby him.

"Well, lads, it's about time I got the fuck out of here, I gotta mission to do." he told Hank and Shane.

Shane's face had formed into a puzzled expression. "Already? Didn't you just do one right now?"

"War doesn't wait for anyone, comrade. You've been in here long enough, you should know by now." Mikhail replied.

Shane nodded. "Good luck then."

"Thank you comrade, but a word of advice: try not to blow your teammate's head right off the bat when trying to make a demonstration." Mikhail said.

Shane chuckled. "If you say so."

Nodding in satisfaction, Mikhail turned around to leave. He stopped, however, after a few steps.

"Oh, and Hank, comrade?"

Hank glanced back up to Mikhail.

Mikhail turned his head back slightly to see the teenager. _**"Do be careful with your new roommate. He does have quite a status over his head, and I'm more than certain he won't be happy his new partner's a new guy."**_

Hank did not respond as he watched Mikhail walking away, bemused at what the man's last words to him really meant.

When Mikhail was gone and the elevator opened in front of the two young men with a "_ding"_, Hank turned to Shane.

"What the heck does he mean by that?" Hank asked.

Shane merely shrugged. "You'll soon understand. People catch onto things around here pretty quick."

Hank looked back forward, staring at the doors of the elevator in silence. A few seconds later, the elevator made another loud _"ding"_ and opened itself up for the two of them to exit. Shane walked out first, followed by Hank.

Again, they walked through another corridor, this time though, it was narrower than those from the floors below them. Finally, Shane stopped in front of one of the doors of the rooms numbered 605. It looked like the automatic door The Higher Powers had, only much smaller.

Shane pulled out a keycard and swiped it downwards on the slot next to him. The red light on the electronic reader quickly flashed green and turned back to red as the door in front of them elevated.

Shane turned to Hank, handing him the card.

"This is the card you will use from now on to enter your room. Take good care of it, but if you do somehow lose it, go to the office at the first floor and order for a copy. Okay?"

Hank nodded, looking down at the piece of plastic. It had a barcode on it along with the room number.

Shane entered the room, flicking on the switch. The left half of the room was a mess while the right half was kept neat and tidy.

Shane twisted the corner of his lip. "Nikolai just can't keep his shit together in one place, can he?"

Hank had a confused look on his face. "Who?"

Shane grinned. "Remember when Mikhail told you about your new partner? Well then, now you know his name."

Turning back to the room where clothes were scattered everywhere on the left hemisphere, Hank was left in deep thought. Nikolai, huh? It was an odd name, possibly foreign in origin, but he didn't need to waste his time thinking about that now.

Shane took a step back. "Well, that's pretty much it. You can obviously tell the right side of the room is yours, and the left is your partner's. I suggest you don't touch anything on his side because he could get pretty mad about you sifting through his stuff. Any last questions?"

Hank turned to Shane. "Yeah, just one. I'm Nikolai's **_'new'_** partner, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, what exactly happened to his last one?"

Shane laughed. "You really want to know?"

Hank nodded.

Shane's laughter died down to a smile.

"I'm going to tell you this; **nobody here leaves unless they're assigned to go on a mission. The only other way of getting out of this trap is by death.** So, you work the details yourself." Shane calmly answered.

It didn't take long for Hank to know exactly what happened, because Shane suddenly saw him sweating.

Shane grinned. "G'night. You might wanna sleep as soon as you can, because you'll wake up pretty early in the morning to get around this place."

And with that, Shane left, closing the door behind him by pressing the button next to the entrance. Hank was all alone in the quiet room. The walls were painted gray and there were two beds widely separated from each other.

That meant whoever messed around with this room wanted Hank to stay away from him as far as possible.

Sighing, Hank went over to his bed, pocketing his keycard in his jeans. He would change tomorrow morning, and will hopefully be able to take a shower along the way. Unfortunately for him, there was no time he could spend thinking about his new roommate.

_**Because his journey is about to begin.**_

* * *

A/N: Done with this chapter. Sorry it took so long to update; this is the season where high school students (like me) take their midterms and their final exams. So really, I barely have any free time anymore this month. But I do temporarily as of now, and I won't have to worry about anymore tests until next week.

Anyways, enough sappy apologizing. I need to get to some long-awaited Reviewers' Credits:

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits (For Hank's Legacy):**_

**DodgeStreaker: **LOL, hey I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry, but I really needed that chapter to tie things up. Just remember though that Julia still isn't lost forever. Hank had saved her by sacrificing himself into the war.

Thanks for the review by the way! I'm glad I got the emotion I was trying to portray from people like you. :)

* * *

**Sacrom574:** Hey thanks comrade! Really appreciate the edits you've done for the past few chapters so far, and hearing those positive comments from you are uplifting! I know there are some things to improve on; there's no way I'm perfect!

And to answer your question, I did not change the large majority of your Mod. Though MODCEPTION would be interesting to think about. :D

Thanks for the review man!

* * *

**Cowbow50 (who is really Gibb50 on Newgrounds):** Thank you so much for taking the time to check this story out! I really hope you're still reading this, because you were one of the many people here who have motivated me into keep moving forward! Special thanks go to you dude, and I love your music and animations on Newgrounds! Keep up the great work, and you earned my sub on YouTube. :)

* * *

**Savannah:** Thank you! That was really nice to say from a new reviewer! I'm glad you enjoy the plotline so far, and I hope this is satisfying as well! Also, I saw your review on _**Babysitting Damion**_ as well, and I have to say, you've really helped make my day!

Hope you stick around too!

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits (For Final Salvation):**_

_**Shakespeare-The-Imposter**_: Thanks for the two great reviews! I hope you checked the rest of the story out, because it does get better afterwards! Really, I appreciate it dude, and I promise to beta-read and fix your future Madness Combat Fanfictions!

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits (For Babysitting Damion):**_

**Savannah: **LOL, that was pretty funny wasn't it. I was debating on whether or not to put such a gross part into the story, but in the end, I just shrugged and decided: "Fuck it, let's see what happens!"! Glad you liked it, and thank you for another great review on my fics.

* * *

Wow, a lot happened in the past two weeks I was gone didn't it? Oh yeah, almost forgot; O.C. Credits:

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

**Mikhail/Agent574: **By Sacrom574

**Shane: **By DodgeStreaker

* * *

And _now_ we're done. Really, I want to apologize to all of you. This was the worst update time I've had by far, and I just want to give school a kick in the balls for that. I really appreciate the fact that all of you are still following my stories even during my absences. It's really motivating, and I promise to do my best to fulfill all your needs!

Thank you all! This is quite a busy month for the most of us, ain't it? Ah well, let's get it over with. And then comes the fanfics!

I'll see you guys later and wish you all the best of luck. As of me, I'll be working on another chapter over the break, and hopefully I'll upload it before Martin Luther King Jr. Day so we can all enjoy it two days before school. After all, with such a patient crowd like this, how can I possibly say no?

Again, thank you guys! I can't express it enough! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy, and I'll hopefully see you around sometime soon!

~Spirit9871


	13. Initiation

Chapter 13: Initiation

* * *

_Why was half of his body gone?_

Hank had found himself at a bottom of a cliff next to a large axe, blood oozing out of the remaining half of his body. He had no clue when or where he was, but all he realized was that the right side of his whole figure had been cut cleanly off. Also, for some apparent reason, red words were fizzing in the air.

_**PAIN MAXIMUM THRESHOLD **_

Clearly, Hank felt stressed from fear, as if his body was going overdrive and was telling him to run before…whatever was chasing him would get a hold on him. Unfortunately though, the human body doesn't quite work that well if half of it was missing.

_**INCOMPLETE**_

_** RETRY**_

Hank tried to get up, but he merely wobbled on the rocky terrain he was on. The pain was so intense that his whole body had literally numbed itself out. Although he had no idea how he's even still alive, there was something telling him in his gut that whatever had put him into this state wasn't pretty.

_**INSUFFICIENT PERFORMANCE**_

_** RETRY**_

_** INCOMPLETE**_

_** INSUFFICIENT**_

Once more Hank wobbled on the floor like a dying fish, but suddenly, he heard a large _"bang"_ behind him, like a large object had just fallen.

_**VENGENCE**_

Hank was suddenly thrown to the side, hitting the rocky wall beside him. More blood leaked out of his weakening body. He saw the monster that towered above him, but was too scared, afraid, and pained to say anything.

_**SUFFER**_

_** SUFFER**_

Hank yelled out in pain as he felt the demon's flaming hand light him on fire.

_It was too much._

_**THE PAIN WAS TOO MUCH!**_

* * *

Hank woke up in a cold sweat. This nightmare felt all too real, although he didn't believe it. But still, the pain felt undeniably lifelike, as if he was actually there. And he was wearing those same, unrecognizable clothes again, just like the last nightmare he had with that clown-zombie.

Groggily, he turned to his side to check the time from the clock situated on the nightstand situated next to his bed. The large, red numbers were clearly visible through the darkness – 4:07 A.M. Why was he up so early?

At any rate, he definitely wasn't going to fall asleep again, the eye-straining sight of the electronic clock's numbers having acted as a little jolt to help him wake himself up. On the other hand, he wasn't being called anywhere, so Hank figured he would lie around until the time came, think some things over.

He lay on his back for a few seconds, then rolled over onto his side, the side that faced his partner's bed. His vision had long since adjusted itself to the darkness, so he could see clearly more or less: now, he spied a figure standing a couple of feet away from his bed. As he stared at it in confusion and disbelief, the figure's eyes glowed blue.

"JEBUS H. CHRIST!" Hank yelled in surprise, pressing himself against the wall his bed was pushed against as he caught sight of the strange phenomenon. The fact that he could see in the darkness, more or less, didn't help against the view.

The figure chuckled suddenly, turning away from Hank and walking over to the entrance of the room and hitting the light switch, revealing the intruder's identity.

It was, of course…

"Dammit Mikhail," Hank said indignantly as the other man removed a ballistic mask from over his face and grinned at him, "What the fuck was that for?! It's four o'clock in the fucking morning!"

"Your training begins now." Mikhail responded simply.

Hank's eyes widened. Sure, he was enthusiastic to begin preparing for the ass-whooping he'll give to the people who killed Julia, but he couldn't start _now_. At least, not in this state.

"Mikhail… for God's sake… let me sleep for another hour or two… I can't feel my legs…" Hank begged.

"You know what they say: 'The early agent kills the grunt.'" Mikhail responded. "Besides, I'm atheist."

An awkward silence ensued, lasting a few seconds until Hank broke it with, "Uh… Mikhail… I think you meant 'The early bird gets the worm?'"

"I said what I said. Now, get your ass off the damn bed."

Hank groaned, his head throbbing from sleep deprivation. He didn't know how, but instead of whining (which The Higher Powers clearly told him NOT to do), he got out of bed. Hank turned his head to the bed across from him, which supposedly was his partner's, only to find it vacant. However, it was obvious someone had slept there the night before by how things seemed to have shifted the last time Hank was awake.

"Where's my partner, er-" Hank mumbled, racking his brains desperately for the name he was looking for.

"Nikolai?" Mikhail supplied, and Hank nodded vigorously. "He woke up an hour or so ago to go on a mission. To him, the schedule is like second nature: if you want to live here, learn by example."

Hank said nothing to this and dressed himself before following Mikhail out of the room and through the hallway. They were underground, so he couldn't see how the outside world looked at this time. As Hank and Mikhail walked through the pristine hallways, a thought flashed through his mind.

"Mikhail, how the hell did you get into my room?" Hank inquired, letting a bit of force flow into his question. It was ineffective, however—

"That's for me to know… and you to speculate about." His companion answered mysteriously, his stride as fast as ever. Once again Hank fell silent, and remained so during the remainder of the trip down an elevator and through a series of hallways.

Suddenly, Mikhail stopped in front of a random doorway, causing Hank to bump into him slightly. Looking around, the Hank's confusion was visible on his face.

"Where are we? This isn't the training room." He said, somewhat accusingly.

"Of course this isn't the training room." Mikhail responded. "We need to put some shit down for your permanent records."

"Permanent records? Why the hell do we have to do that?"

"… The Higher Powers erased all data about your previous life before, da?"

"Oh." The memory hit the back of Hank's head like a rock. Mikhail had been talking sense the whole time, so he decided to shut up for the time being.

Satisfied with the silence, Mikhail swiped his own keycard into the door. Hank assumed Mikhail's card had more access to different rooms by how its golden color was different from the plain-white one Hank kept in his pocket.

Mikhail walked in first with Hank right behind of him. Hank looked around. The walls of the large room were colored in gray, and were lit up by the dim light bulb that hung on the ceiling. To add onto this, there were almost fifty desks with chairs inside, each occupied by a person. Everyone in the room though seemed only a few years older than Hank.

"Sit down." Mikhail ordered.

Complying with his orders, Hank went to the end of the room to get an empty seat. Although he pretended not to notice, Hank felt some of the stares in the room directed towards him. Just like before, Hank knew that his age would negatively affect his experience here.

Ignoring the pairs of eyes on him, Hank looked back down on the table in front of him. There was a paper already waiting for his answers alongside a pen.

Picking up his writing utensil, Hank read the first question:

_**QUESTION 1:**__ What is your name?_

Before Hank could write down "Hank Shawnson", he read the next sentence after that:

_**You may not use your real name, otherwise, you will risk your identity being compromised.**_

Hank stared at the answer box. He had no idea what to put down for that; Hank never considered changing is name. Although he would really like to do so to forget about Julia (since her last name was also Shawnson"), the question had just come at him too fast.

Finally, after a few minutes of hesitation, Hank skipped it and went on to the other questions. The rest were easy by asking things like:

"_What is your gender?"_

"_How old are you?"_

"_What is your age?"_

"_What is your blood type?"_

"_Do you have any health complications? If so, list all below."_

After almost a hundred of these annoying inquiries, Hank finished. He still hadn't thought of anything yet for his new official name, but now his guide of sorts Mikhail walked over again.

"Done yet?"

Hank shook his head, and Mikhail sighed.

"Man, this isn't a Bio test. This is real simple shit, here. Where'd you get stuck?" At that point he sounded almost like a big brother, but it was soon gone.

Hank pointed to the first question, and Mikhail picked the paper up to study it. After a few seconds of scrutiny he set it down again and turned to Hank.

"All right, baby steps. What do you want your first name to be?"

"Well…" Hank trailed off, "I really wanted it to stay as Hank."

"Fair enough. 'Hank' is a common enough name, and I'm sure nobody will recognize you with just that." Mikhail reasoned. "Now then, let's get to some more important: your **last** name. That you must change, regardless of what it is."

Hank sat down, staring at the ceiling. Finally, he spoke:

"I don't know."

Mikhail looked at him for a few seconds, as if in thought.

"What was your father's last name?" He asked suddenly.

"Wimbleton." Hank replied. "But-"

"Wimbleton, Wimbleton…" Mikhail looked up at the ceiling, then back at Hank. "That's a cool name, you'll have that one." He bent over Hank, scribbling the name down neatly with Hank's pen. Hank bit his lip – the name had been inscribed in permanent ink, which meant there was no turning back.

Mikhail read the name out loud to himself. "Hank Wimbleton…it sounds fair, but there's something missing in it. How does a middle initial sound?"

"I don't know." Hank said, again.

"Dammit, we don't have all day." Mikhail said, half-growling. "Just pick a letter."

Hank shifted back onto his chair. He sat down for a minute or so, thinking.

"Well?" Mikhail edged him on.

Sighing, Hank said the first thing that would come to his mind.

"J."

Nodding, Mikhail wrote it down in its rightful box on the paper. Now, Mikhail was the one sighing, only from tiredness and irritation.

"We are _done_. I'm-a drop this off at the main desk for you. For now, take the elevator to the ground floor. You'll see the training room we passed yesterday. Stay there until I come back, and for the love of all things pure and innocent _don't _fuck anything up."

Hank stood up and headed through the doors before Mikhail moved. Although "Hank J. Wimbleton" did sound like a badass name for a future soldier, he didn't want to include his father in any part of this. Also, the name had been the same, to the letter, on the tombstone in his dream, which scared him shitless.

Hank took the elevator to the first floor, as directed by Mikhail. Of course he was nervous after the course of events he'd just been through, as well as not having a single clue as to what was in store for him… but at the same time he was excited, excited because this was, at least for him, a new beginning.

A chance to keep the promise he made to Julia, to do great things in his lifetime.

Hank stood still for a few seconds, trying to remember the course for the part of the Agency he'd seen the combatants in the day before. After some time he made it to the training room, which in itself was a white-walled enclosure occupied by four young men and one woman sitting on the floor.

As he walked in, Hank 'scanned' the five, taking in each one's appearance as he moved towards them. The first was a teenage boy with jet-black hair and matching eyes, clad in a leather jacket over a white T-shirt, a pair of black denim pants, and black combat boots. The kid seemed pretty young—in fact, he appeared to be an average 13-year-old save his right hand, which seemed to be covered in some sort of material that looked suspiciously like… reptilian scales? Hank also noticed the boy had secluded himself from the rest of his groupmates. But the thing that bothered Hank most was that he _felt_ like he's seen this kid before, only he just can't remember where.

Ignoring that strange though, Hank focused on the second individual; a man older than both Hank and the strange reptile-hand dude. He appeared to be slightly muscular in build, which was the only thing Hank could deduce about his physical appearance, what with him being covered in a black hockey mask with white vertical stripes, a coal-black hoodie, and a pair of white gloves. It was obvious this would be the last person Hank would be able to engage in conversation.

The third was strangely unique- the only girl out of the five in the room, sitting next to the second guy. Contrary to her conserved friend, Hank took in her black hair, a matching jacket with_ '_A.A.H.W._' _crossed out with an X on the back, and a black pair of gloves to top it off. Like the second man, she appeared to be in her early twenties, but unlike her compatriot she was quite talkative (though it seemed like she never stopped talking, her conversational partner showed minimal interests to her words with mere nods and shakes of his head in place of a proper response.)

The fourth was another male, dressed in dark blue denim jeans, black sneakers, and a red shirt emblazoned with the words 'Fuck Da Police' which clashed with his light-brown hair and eyes. He was sitting next to a friend of his own like the previous pair, but didn't attract much attention.

The last man looked quite a bit like the previous in terms of facial complexion, but unlike his friend (or brother, Hank guessed) he wore only a black trench coat over a clear white shirt, as well as blue denim and matching sneakers to top it off. While Hank could deduce no flaws in the others, this one was chewing gum quite loudly with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed; it was somewhat annoying, at least to Hank.

Just as Hank finished his analysis, he heard the doors behind him swish open and closed and turned around to see Mikhail strolling towards them, just as he had promised.

"Paperwork's done, it's all cool," he informed Hank before turning to face the rest of the people in the room. "Now, if you all would dismiss your current conversations for the situation at hand?"

Within a matter of seconds all conversations were ceased, and a death-like silence ensued as everybody turned to focus on Mikhail.

"Everybody focused? Good. Now, you lads are probably wondering just what in the hell you're doin' here. In a nutshell, you six are stuck with each other, as groupmates."

Hank's new groupmates began to steam glances at each other with interest, seeing as these people were going to assist them in their careers.

"So, more or less, it looks like you've all situated yourself during your free time." Mikhail began again, "So why don't you all introduce yourselves? We're gonna be stuck with each other for the next few years or so anyway."

The atmosphere became a tad bit tenser; it appeared that Hank's comrades were not very approving of opening themselves up so easily. Mikhail, however, ignored this shift of sorts. Instead, he took a seat of his own on the pristine floor.

"All right, then, looks like all you guys are ready to get this over with."

"And one girl," The single woman in the group added.

Mikhail turned his gaze on her, slightly surprised. "One of the fighters, huh? Not many choose this path. All right, _madame, _you've been noted."

The woman nodded, satisfied, and Mikhail turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah – I'm- a call on each of you, and in response you're gonna tell us about yourself." He paused, then added, "That's an order."

Mikhail reached to his foot, and Hank realized that strapped to his left boot was a knife. The man slid it out of its sheath and flipped it experimentally. The blade flew upwards for about a meter, and then fell back downwards at which point Mikhail caught it by the blade. He flipped it once more, but this time only high enough for Mikhail to catch it by the handle and point it toward the teenager with the peculiar, scaly hand.

"You. Talk."

Sighing, the teenager began: "My name's DJ, DJ Anderson. But, you could just call me DJ. I used to live in New Zealand until those A.A.H.W. fuckers messed shit up for me. Good place. Wish to go back someday. See this hand?"

DJ raised his strange hand for everyone to see.

"…Don't mess with it. Trust me; there are a lot of things I can do with this that you're definitely not going to like if I use it on you."

In response, Mikhail laughed.

"Da, you seem to have that Anti-A.A.H.W. vibe. And I do want to see you work that hand someday."

DJ frowned and looked away.

"Right. You – talk." Mikhail repeated once more, the pointy end of his knife now facing the guy in the hockey mask.

The man didn't shift from his position for a few seconds, and the woman beside him elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"My name is Eli."

More silence, broken by Mikhail with,

"Anything else you'd like to tell us about, _Eli?_ No? How about taking that mask off for us, da?"

The woman tensed, as if expecting something, and Eli's head shot up rapidly.

"**No.**" He replied coldly, his tone brooking no argument.

"Be like that." Mikhail retorted calmly, his pointing his blade at the woman. "Ain't cool to keep a girl waiting… talk."

The woman complied. "Okay! Hi, my name is Hina! I _**hate**_ the A.A.H.W. and don't like killing people without a reason, but what I do like are apples! Mm…if you can get me one of those, then you're on my good side."

Hina turned to Eli. "In fact, you like apples a lot too, don't you Eli?"

Eli responded with a low grunt.

Rolling her eyes at her friend's lack of openness, she continued: "Yeah, Eli's a bit… shy, I suppose."

Eli grunted once more, unsettled.

"But anyways," Hina started again, clearly trying to ignore Eli at the moment, "Don't try to get me into a fistfight, because remember this: **I can kick any one of your asses anytime of the week if I have to.** Also, don't get any ideas while I'm around, 'cause that just ends nasty too. Oh, and also…!"

She continued for the next ten minutes or so, Eli staying still and quiet as a rock while his friend continued to disclose more unnecessary information about the two of them. Eventually Mikhail, who unto this point had stayed stock-still and –silent, looked at his watch.

"Hina."

"I mean come on! It's not…huh? Were you going to say something?" Hina stopped abruptly.

"My bad, but we don't have much time to go through with this, so I've got to cut you off here." Mikhail said, and he looked truly sorry about it.

Realizing that she overdid the talking, Hina turned a light shade of red. "S-sorry…"

"It's fine." Mikhail replied calmly, waving her away.

Mikhail pointed his knife at the fourth combatant.

"Nex-"

"My name's Aaron!" The young man broke in before Mikhail could finish, "Aaron Walker! And I'm the baddest of the bad out there, so you better watch out! Give me anything ya got, and I'll smack the shit out of some skulls! This guy over here-"

Aaron pointed to the fifth man who was chewing gum loudly and carelessly.

"-is my bro, Ryder Walker! Together, we kick some major ass!" Aaron ranted, hugging his older sibling tightly. Ryder merely blew a bubble with his gum and stared expressionlessly forward into space.

Once Aaron was done, Mikhail slowly nodded. With every group of people, there's always that one knucklehead that makes himself look like a dumbass in front of everyone else.

And Mikhail had just found that dumbass.

"…Okay…? Well, if this young man is your brother, then why don't we talk to him next?" Mikhail reasoned, pointing at Ryder.

After his little brother let go of him, Ryder shrugged.

"Well, as you can clearly see, the moron next to me already said my full name out loud to all of you, so I think there's no point clearing that up again. So, what can I say? I'm with stupid, and we both came here for reasons you should buzz off about. And yes; Aaron is my little brother. But he's not that intelligent. More like ballsy. But not intelligent."

Aaron frowned. "What're you getting your balls twisted in a knot for? I was trying to just make an impression on these guys, that's all!"

"Well congrats, you _did_ make an impression. A pretty stupid one, in fact." Ryder coolly answered.

Aaron turned away. "You're always like that…ever since mom and dad-"

Ryder quickly shot a glance at Aaron and abruptly stopped chewing on his gum. Although he was still expressionless, it was a sharp look full of meaning.

Aaron stuttered. "R-right. Never mind then."

A dead silence followed. It wasn't until Mikhail shifted his view to the last person who had to go speak for his own accord that the conversation continued.

Hank.

"Alrighty then! Lastly, it's time our newest recruit to the Agency made a shout-out of his own. I've met him several times before, and I have to say, he's an interesting lad, so you five might wanna hear him out." Mikhail stated, trying to lighten up the mood.

Mikhail turned to Hank, knife in hand. "You have the floor, so say your thoughts and make a good impression unlike our comrade Aaron over there."

Hank didn't even reply to Mikhail's word with a nod. Instead, he stared down at his feet and sighed.

"…Well…fine. My name…or should I say my _new_ name is Hank J. Wimbleton. My life was fairly simple; I was in the Nevadan Orphanage after my parents ditched me. My father, who was a psychotic drug-dealer, killed my mother, a stripper, after she tried to save my life instead of taking an abortion my father forced on her. So, in the end, I met my dad in The Sheriff's jail, and watched as Jebus blasted his skull. Oh, and I almost forgot; The Sheriff killed my caretaker, who was the only person on this planet who gave a damn about me, in a raging fire that was supposed to burn me into ashes. And now, I'm here, because I have no place to stay in, and the A.A.H.W. apparently wants my head for some reason. The funniest thing is; that all happened in one week."

By the time Hank had finished, everyone in the room was staring him in disbelief, likely thinking that the teenager was bluffing. But, judging from his sarcastic smile full of hate, he wasn't.

Mikhail broke in. "Is there anything else on your mind Hank?"

Hank froze for a few seconds, but continued: "I like guns. Whoopee."

Not completely satisfied with Hank's first impression, Mikhail clasped his hands together.

"Well! Now that we've all settled down a bit, I think it's time we got to the rea-"

"Hey wait a second!" Aaron suddenly interrupted Mikhail again (which seemed to somewhat annoy the man.), "You never told us anything about yourself! Why the fuck did we have to say all that shit if you're not going to give us anything in return?"

Mikhail chuckled. "You really want to know about me? Okay. In a nutshell – my name is Agent 574. You can call me Agent, 574, or Agent 574. I've been around for a few years or so and because I fucked up a mission I'm supposed to be training y'all. Now, keep in mind that I'm not the only 'teacher' 'round here – there are other mentors, other squadrons. We get better at this faster than the others, we get a better rep."

Hina blinked. "…You do realize the only valuable piece of info you gave us was your name, right?"

Mikhail nodded. "Da." Then, standing up, he added, "Y'all know each other now, so it's time to get shit done."

"…Shit like?" DJ suddenly piped up, raising his head in interest.

Mikhail grinned.

**"Combat practice, comrades! I'm going to make you all sweat and break bones like never before!"**

* * *

A/N: Okay! That ends this chapter. I am so dearly sorry this took so long to upload; I just went through a whole week of final exams and made up missing work for the next two. You guys are still showing your support and I am eternally grateful for that. Hopefully though, the mid-winter break will come soon, but thanks to Hurricane Sandy, I lost three days of relaxation to make up for the days I missed school.H.  
A nice special thanks goes to Sacrom574. So far in the past few chapters, he has been beta-reading my story and fixing some errors like repetitive phrases and such. Also, he has fixed the dialogue of Mikhail/Agent574, making him sound even more badass than I could ever make him seem.

Now then, if you think I forgot about Reviewers' Credits, you're _**wrong**_. Quite a number of you have began leaving comments behind on my fics, so that is something else that lightens up my days too.

* * *

**Reviewers' Credits:**

* * *

_**For Hank's Legacy:**_

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**DodgeStreaker:** Thanks for the review again! I know, these few chapters even for me are slower than ever and lack some excitement, but not to worry, when the time comes, _**shit will get REAL**_.\

I hope Syo is doing okay. As much as I'd love to see your next chapter, I can be patient enough to know that we all have our own lives to worry about, so I can wait.

* * *

**Sacrom574:** Thank you. Your positive review is quite inspiring to read as always. Of course, I don't mind that some edits were not factored in; I wish to worry about that later. However, I do agree with my tense problems; they are quite abundant, and they're something I've been keeping an eye on for a while. So, I'll definitely try to improve on that as well. As for the Author's Note you put in, do not worry; that has been deleted upon request.

Also, no problem on making you part of this story. In fact, I should be the one thanking you for all you've done for me so far. To be honest, most of this story wouldn't have been as good as it is now without your helpful changes and ideas.

I hope you still stick around for the ride, 'cause it's going to be _**good**_!

* * *

**The Dark Madness Dragon **(Who used to be known as DJ-Anderson: Madness For Life)**:** LOL, in Nevada, shit can go down anywhere, anytime; you should know that. Well, more or less, Mikhail still definitely has his pride with him, only this is definitely going to be something he wouldn't want to talk about. XD

Thanks for the review! It really helps boost my morale! :D

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**Cowbow50 **(Gibb50 on Newgrounds)**:** Hey dude, thank you so much! I'm so happy you're actually still following this story and leaving reviews! It means a lot to me, and I'm definitely a fan of your work on Newgrounds too by the way!

Also, to your review, I actually imagined The Higher Powers as giant Auditors only because it was the only thing that came up to my head. So you can thank my lack of imagination for that shit. XD!

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**Kagami:** Thanks for the review! Yes, chapter 11 was probably the saddest thing I wrote as of now, but you're right. At least Hank gets to have the chance to bring her back to life, but of course, with a cost.

Also, sorry for the wait. I know it might be disappointing for you all to see that no ultra-violent training has begun yet, but I think I needed this chapter to introduce all the O.C.'s, instead of just cramming them into the story with no background to them. They're all amazing, so yeah, things will get quite interesting in the next chap.

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**Reviewers' Credits (For Final Salvation):**

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**Tander09:** Thank you for the review man! Hearing new people out really does bring my mood up! I really hope I can hear from you more, but really dude, thank you so much. It means a lot to me that people are actually leaving behind positive comments on my works.

Done and done. Now then, O.C. Credits. There's quite a few of them here, so let's get to it:

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**O.C. Credits:**

_**Mikhail/Agent574:**_by **Sacrom574**

_**DJ Anderson: **_by **The Dark Madness Dragon**

_**Eli: **_by **Kagami**

_**Hina: **_by **Kagami**

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And that's pretty much it. Everyone else is my own creation, so there's obviously no point crediting myself here. Again, so sorry for the delays. I do sincerely hope life will go a bit easier on me nowadays so I can get back to this.

Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, the word count is getting kinda big, plus I have to study for some more shit. How I still manage all this work I don't know, but the good news is, after this year is over, I'd have more time to write, so just be patient for now.

Thank you all so much for sticking around even during these dark times. Your dedication and support really makes me thankful and motivates me to keep moving forward!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy, and see you next time!

~Spirit9871


	14. Killbots

Chapter 14: Killbots

* * *

Now _that _seemed interesting to Hank.

Although the others somewhat moaned in rejection, Hank was more than ready to start training. Well, not entirely, if it wasn't for his aching, sleep-deprived body.

"Tch, figures. Didn't we already have enough training from _yesterday?_" DJ argued.

"Sorry DJ, but war waits for no one. We have to get ya'll outta here as soon as we can for combat." Agent explained.

After a few seconds of silence, Eli suddenly stood up.

"Let's get this over with." He said simply, as he walked off to the opposite side of the room.

Although Hank didn't understand why Eli had done this, the others had seemingly joined him for some apparent reason. Eventually, Mikhail walked over as well, signaling to Hank that this was intentional.

Suddenly, a crucial thought passed Hank's mind as he followed Mikhail.

"Hey wait a sec. DJ said that you guys trained _yesterday_. Are you saying that I'm the only one here that's a new recruit?" Hank questioned.

"Well, in a nutshell, da."574 replied.

"What!? Why the hell am I here then!? I haven't received _**any **_formal training before, and these guys have!" Hank argued, in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"In some exceptional cases, The Higher Powers recommend me some lower-ranking people to join my training group. DJ for example, is one of them. He's only trained here for a week or so, but The Higher Powers had just flung him into this class all of a sudden. It might be because of whatever the hell he has in that scaly hand of his; I don't know. On the other hand though, Eli, Hina, Ryder, and Aaron have worked themselves up to this position, even if it's hard to believe so just by looking at them."

Hank turned back to look at the rest of his groupmates. The agent was right; they didn't seem like the fighting types at all.

"And I'm one of these…_exceptions…_right?"

574 grinned, looking at the teenager.

"Da. In fact, The Higher Powers were quite interested in you especially. You have quite the responsibility over your head, comrade."

Hank said nothing in reply. He could already tell The Higher Powers were going to give him a hard time, regardless of what their goals were.

When everyone had made it to the opposite wall just as the mysterious Anti-A.A.H.W. agent instructed, 574 pulled out a switch from the inside of his outerwear. He pressed the large red button on the black remote.

Suddenly, the floor spilt itself open slowly into two halves, elevating a platform in the place of the gap. That explained why the agent had told them to move over to the walls - had they not, they would've fallen into the pit themselves.

When the platform stopped, six androids had appeared in the combatants' field of vision. They were lined up in two lines, three robots on each, with their metal heads sagging because of their inactive states.

"Lady and gentlemen; meet the Anti-A.A.H.W.'s primary training units: the BOTs; Battery Operated Trainers. Instead of just punching a mere bag full of sand, this is what we use: state-of-the-art technology for all of our agents to grow and adapt their combat skills." Agent 574 explained, gesturing grandly in the BOTs' direction.

Hank stared at the robots. They were quite the sight to see at first glance with their red uni-visors and shiny white armor (which would most likely be stained in blood by the end of the day).

"To those of you who have never seen these machines in action before, the BOT's functioning systems are simple. You put a skill rating from 1 to 100 to train with, depending on your level of combat. However, due to some past incidents, only I and certain moderators can choose at what difficulty you will fight at." 574 continued.

Aaron smirked, suddenly walking up to one of the metal drones.

"Pfft. This little piece of shit is supposed to take me down? Doesn't look that bad." He said confidently.

Ryder rolled his eyes and sighed. "Here we go again…"

Silent, 574 pressed another smaller button on his remote and twisted a dial slightly to the right. All of a sudden, the BOT's visor turned a bright red as its head shot up, and swung what seemed to be a back-fist towards Aaron before he could react. The unexpected hit launched Aaron all the way to the other end of the room.

"Gah!" he yelled in agony, holding his sore cheek as he slid down the white wall.

574 smiled. "And that was only level ten."

Just as soon as Mikhail finished that sentence, the BOT turned his head instantly to face him. Without warning, it charged forward at a near-incomprehensible speed, one of its fists whizzing through the air toward Mikhail's skull. The agent caught the fist in mid-air, effectively stopping the robot's advance, and rammed his own into the robot's 'stomach.'

The BOT shook violently as red static coursed throughout its figure. Then, its visor went back to its inactive dark-red color, and the BOT fell forward.

Mikhail frowned. "Sorry 'bout that. The BOT's aren't normally this violent. Better get Shane to fix that one up…but yes. You will notice that after a certain amount of hits or power, the BOT will automatically shut down. In other words, much like a human being, you put it into an artificial 'knock-out'. "

Aaron stood up, his face a light shade of red in embarrassment as he joined the others.

"Right, now then, enough talk. I think I've made myself more than clear on how these things work, so it's up to you on whether or not you're going to gain anything from this. I'll make you go up in turns instead of making a fiasco of the place. So all of you take a seat, and we will begin. The most experienced of you goes up first, and then we work down the ranks."

Everyone except the agent sat down. Then he pointed to Eli.

"You. Go."

Dead silent like before, Eli stood up and trudged over to the middle of the room. 574 had already moved the other BOTs to the wall opposite of the young trainees, leaving only one left for Eli's session.

"Are you ready?" The agent called out to his trainee.

Nodding, Eli watched as he pressed a button to activate the droid. The BOT's eyes flashed a bright red and focused on the first thing in its sight - Eli.

Words appeared on the BOT's red visor:

_[Target Identified: Class: CQB; Threat Level: 43%]_

"GO!" Agent barked.

As soon as he'd finished that word, the BOT rushed into Eli. Eli parried the attack, sending his heel in a spinning arc towards the BOT's head. After making direct contact, the BOT shook with red static, stumbling backwards. However, the robot held on strong, responding with a roundhouse kick towards Eli's right side. Eli low-blocked the hit with his arm, staggering slightly as the cold, hard metal bruised his skin. Realizing that this could not keep up, the combatant sent his palm in an upwards motion (much like an uppercut) towards the BOT's chin, sending it into a state of confusion. Finally, Eli finished him with a hard punch from his right fist into the skull of his enemy and sent a side-kick at its stomach - more than enough damage to end the BOT's rampage.

Eli turned away nonchalantly as the BOT fell backwards, fizzing red electrical charges until reaching a state of inactivity. It was funny; the veteran had made the training course look so ridiculously easy, as if it was a joke.

574 nodded with approval. "Not bad. You've improved greatly these past few months especially. More or less, good job. It seems as though you're ready for level thirteen."

Fairly content with that reply, Eli silently walked back to the side of the wall where the group leaned on. Hank watched as Hina began cheering and talking on towards her partner again.

"Hina, you're next." The agent interrupted the young woman in mid-sentence.

She grinned. "Wish me luck!"

Shoving away the mess Eli left behind, Mikhail summoned another fresh, new BOT from the other side of the wall for Hina's turn.

After she quickly got into position, the BOT scanned her, just like it did to Eli.

_[Target Identified: Class: CQB; Threat Level: 39%]_

"GO!" 574 barked once more.

Once again, the BOT went on the offense. However, unlike Eli, Hina began blocking and dodging all the rapid attacks the machine sent at her. Though her dexterity and awareness was an impressive sight to see from the sidelines, it was obvious she couldn't keep this defensive tactic up forever.

To Hina's shock, the BOT had found a hole in her composure and sent a firm hit into her ribs. Hank noticed Eli tense up as she took damage.

Hina jumped back, holding her side from pain. She was lucky, because had it not have been for her quick thinking, the BOT would knocked her jaw off next.

"When your enemy hits you hard, you hit HARDER!" Agent roared at the young woman, whose morale was going down fast.

As if he had said magic words, Hina went into a state of full-assault. Sending weak yet fast jabs and kicks to every crucial point she could find, the BOT seemed as if it was being attacked by a barrage of bullets, what with its whole frame shaking like a bobblehead. After losing the power to retaliate and defend itself, the BOT eventually shut down from over-exhaustion. Now, Eli had loosened himself up.

It took Hina an extra three more hits to finally realize she had won. Once she did, she turned to Agent. The mentor crossed his arms.

"Good, but you need to realize that the saying 'the best offense is the best defense' doesn't necessarily mean you have to run around until your opponent tires out. That won't work here or in real combat missions as you're being chased by a group of Grunts. You need to fight back when you see your opponent is open; especially when they're so aggressive. Overall, nice work. I'll pass you up to the next level as long as you don't make any more mistakes like you just did now."

"I won't!" Hina answered, confidently.

"Very well then, sit your ass down. We still have four more people to watch and train."

Following her teacher's orders, Hina sat down, happily chatting with her friend Eli again. Agent pointed to Ryder and nodded to the BOTs.

"You. Move it."

Just like Eli, Ryder walked up to the designated spot Agent set up after resetting the area. The agent activated the BOT.

_[Target Identified: Class: CQB; Threat Level: 26%]_

Ryder twisted the corner of his lip. "Twenty-six percent? Is that it?"

"GO!"

Ryder put his hands in his pockets grinning.

"Well, come on then: let's see how far twenty-six percent will get you." He egged on.

As if the BOT understood his words, it dashed forwards into him. Just to show off and to screw around with the training droid that had demeaned him so badly, Ryder put his hands in his pockets and simply danced away from each move the machine threw at him.

Shockingly, Ryder seemed far calmer and situated than Hina was herself, but ended his defense with a simple push-kick to make some room for himself and the BOT.

As the BOT stood up, Ryder took a deep breath… and spat his wad of gum into its visor.

Ryder smirked. "You should be honored, you metallic piece of garbage:I spent a lot of time into that one stick."

Although this move was pretty amusing to the young group, Agent saw it as the complete opposite, making it clear with the frown that creased his face.

"There's no way in hell I'm cleaning that up…" he muttered under his breath.

Blinded for a split-second, the BOT hesitated. His ploy successful, Ryder surged forward, arms and legs whirring to hit the BOT in all the places that hurt most. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

"All right Ryder! That's my bro!" Aaron yelled out happily.

Ignoring his brother completely, Ryder turned to 574 for his progress report.

"Impressive. Kept your cool under pressure and attacked only when necessary. However, please refrain from spitting your gum onto the equipment the Agency provides you with, _da?_"

Ryder rolled his eyes. "No promises."

He sat down next to Aaron, who gave him an approving pat on the back.

"That was awesome! You taught that robot who's the boss!" Aaron told him.

Ryder pulled out another stick of gum and started chewing again. "Definitely better than the shit you pulled off for us fifteen minutes ago."

Aaron frowned. "Hey, that BOT got lucky! I wasn't expecting it to pull off a move like that when I wasn't ready! I'm way better than that tin can!"

"Really?"

"YEAH!"

"Well then, looks like you can prove it right now." Ryder stated.

"…R-right now?" Aaron stuttered.

"Agent's waiting for you."

Aaron turned his head to Mikhail. Sure enough, the man was staring back at him.

"Well come on then! Time is bodies!" 574 barked at Aaron.

Making a small, unnoticeable gulp, Aaron nodded, standing up. He walked to where Ryder started off his battle, determined to show his brother his potential.

Mikhail quickly set up a new BOT once more, and after making sure things were properly set he turned to Aaron, who had gotten into stance.

_[Target Identified: Class: Assault; Threat Level: 12%]_

Aaron turned a light shade of red. "_Twelve percent?!_"

"G-!"

Before 574 could finish, Aaron angrily rushed in, sending a punch towards the BOT before it was able to go into its offensive mode. His fist clanged against the BOT, making it stumble a few steps backwards.

"How do my knuckles taste, chump?" Aaron confidently told the android.

Aaron underestimated the BOT a bit too much, unfortunately for him, and it got back on its feet by stretching his legs outwards into Aaron's face, using it as a propulsion board and flipping backwards.

"Damn it!" Aaron yelled, hands flying to cover his face as pain shot through it.

Again, Aaron had made another crucial mistake by giving the BOT enough time to recover and recalculate its assault again.

"Walker! Get your shit together!" 574 barked.

Though this reinvigorated Aaron's fighting ego, he was too late as the BOT went on a full-scale offensive, the laying blow after blow with deadly accuracy towards all the pressure points Aaron left open, stunning the teenager and causing him to wince at the excruciating pain.

Aaron gasped for air as he fell on his back, clutching his sides. The BOT raised its foot, preparing for what seemed like a killing blow. Now, even Ryder was watching with wide-eyes; almost standing up to join the fight.

But before anything could go down, 574 calmly flicked a switch,and the BOT fell backwards in its offline state, harmless.

"I think that's far enough." he said.

Aaron was still on the ground, now dead-silent with his forehead on the floor.

Agent continued: "You started off nice enough, but you can't let your feelings get to you in the middle of a fight. Anger and overconfidence leads to death most of the time when you're fighting the A.A.H.W. Don't let your emotions blind you, and let this be a lesson."

Silent, Aaron stood up and trudged back to sit next to Ryder, who didn't even bother looking at his battered brother as he gazed upwards at the ceiling. Hank noticed Aaron's eyes were wet, but he really couldn't tell if they were tears or if they were just the result of the bruises he took.

His best bet? It was both.

Before 574 could say anything else, DJ stood up and stepped forward. It seemed as though he had gotten accustomed to the system even though he had been here only for a few weeks.

"You seem very optimistic for someone like you. Should I be worried?" 574 commented.

DJ stayed silent. It seemed as though he still wasn't comfortable to talk with complete strangers yet.

574 grinned, remembering the first time he had arrived to the Agency himself. He had been quiet as a rock at first, but now the place was his second home.

Snapping out of his trance, Mikhail set another BOT for DJ to take down.

"You ready?" He asked the trainee.

DJ rolled his head around his neck.

"Yeah, but make sure you clean up the scraps after I'm done, 'kay?"

Smiling slightly, 574 nodded and made room for DJ and the BOT. He was curious to see how this fight would turn out, mainly due to DJ's peculiar hand and the Higher Powers' interest in his output of power.

And now, he could see it for himself.

With a simple press of a button, the BOT was activated. Almost immediately its sensors went to work scanning DJ.

_[Target Identified: Class: Heavy; Threat Level: 20%]_

Unlike his previous combatants, DJ said nothing; he seemed impatient to start the fight.

But the 'GO!' he was expecting never came, and he turned to 574.

"Come on, do I even have to say it?" The agent said in exasperation. "Come on, you know the drill!"

The BOT rushed in; ready to maul the seemingly weak teenager. But had the poor thing known what exactly was in store for it, it would have never voluntarily gone into the fight in the first place.

Just like before, the BOT hurled a fist towards DJ's head, only to find it caught within the teen's normal hand.

"…You see; the hand I'm holding your fist in right now is my bad hand." DJ began.

Suddenly, DJ's abnormal hand made a visible shift in mass.

"…But _**this**_ hand, this is the one I'm about to rip you apart with."

Oblivious to DJ's uncomforting words, the BOT used its free fist to retry its assault. However, this time, DJ used his mutated hand to block this attack.

A large creaking sound of metal under pressure was clearly audible in the near-silent, tense atmosphere. A few seconds later, DJ had crushed the BOT's right hand into metal bits and pieces.

The BOT had backed away, this type of extreme assault from its opponent totally uncalled. Unfortunately for the machine, DJ caught its left arm with his mutated hand.

"Hope you're not going to need this!"

All of a sudden, a large snap took place of the creaking,and suddenly DJ was holding the robot's arm in his hand, the wires that had connected it to the machine's torso sticking out one end and still fizzing with a bit of electricity.

The majority of the squad was appalled. Even 574 himself whistled in surprise – a very rare occasion

"If that kid keeps this up, there won't be any BOT left to clean after…" He said quietly to himself.

"That poor robot…" Hina told Eli, a hint of remorse for the machine that almost kicked her ass inside her.

"DESTROY THAT FUCKER!" Aaron yelled, no such feeling inside him for the emotionless, unyielding machine that had defeated and humiliated him.

DJ pulled back the loose arm, watching the BOT panic with amusement. Eventually, he got tired of the machine's actions and jabbed the arm through the BOT's head; the thing didn't even spark red as it fell back.

DJ turned to 574 for his progress report, who crossed his arms.

"You're fixing that yourself."

DJ stuck his hands in his pockets and went back to the group to sit next to Hank.

"No promises…" he muttered, quoting Ryder, who glanced at DJ emotionlessly in response. It looked in no way like a friendly action.

Agent 574 muttered to himself._"Goddamn it, what the hell am I going to do with these five?"_

Once again, he escaped his thoughts with the realization that there was one last person who still had to fight.

Hank J. Wimbleton.

Grinning, the agent turned behind him to move the BOT away using his remote; to his dismay, the BOT didn't even move from its position on the ground: DJ had done his job a little too well.

"Great…" Agent said in a low voice. He kicked away the now-useless pile of metal to set up the last BOT ready for combat. He set its level on a low number, but he still thought it would be interesting to see what Hank would come up with during his time on the battlefield.

After all, with Hank having an IQ of 200, this could be good.

"And of course, lastly, it's time for our newest recruit to show us his colors. So, Hank, take the stage."

Somewhat nervous but definitely not ready to back down, Hank stood up.

"Good luck." Hina whispered to him.

Nodding to her, Hank turned back to the field, ready to fight.

Mikhail activated the BOT.

_[Target Identified: Class: UNSPECIFIED; Threat Level: UNKNOWN]_

574 smirked. "Don't worry about that. We didn't put any intel about you into the system yet; that'll change the next time we meet here again."

Hank said nothing in response;he was more focused on winning rather than why the BOT failed to recognize his combat class.

"Good luck, comrade." The mentor finished.

The BOT was stagnant for a few seconds, watching Hank's every move. Hank on the other hand, was taking defensive measures in order to avoid a fate similar to Aaron's.

Finally, the BOT must've gotten a bit impatient of this tactic; for it charged straight at Hank. Having no idea how to respond, Hank flinched and paid for his actions by receiving a blow to the stomach from the machine.

The squad cringed. "That's going to hurt in the morning…" Aaron commented.

Hank stumbled back in agony. For some reason, a feeling of deep fear had begun washing into him. Although he didn't know why at first, he then realized it was because his thoughts had jumped to Marvin and how he had tortured him.

Hank took a second hit to the face from the BOT's fist. At this rate, he would be down on the ground in faster and in an even worse shape than Aaron.

Hank closed his eyes.

'…_Why…?'_

Its system detecting more holes in Hank's composure, the BOT continued its offensive maneuvers with a strong kick to the ribs.

'…_Why am I so weak…?'_

More hits followed, and 574 began to wonder whether or not he should stop the fight.

But something told him that he should wait it out, for just a few more seconds.

Gritting his teeth, Hank snapped his eyes back open.

"I AM NOT WEAK!" He roared, and the majority of the group jumping in surprise at his exceptionally loud voice.

To add on to this moment of shock, Hank caught one of the fists the BOT swung at him. He couldn't smash it in his hand like DJ, but he could do something different – something better.

Trapping the BOT by grabbing onto its arm with his right hand, Hank balled his left hand into a fist and sent a powerful blow to the BOT's face. He heard a snap, which mean that if he was fighting a live human being its jaw would be shattered from his hit.

Now the BOT was the one to retreat, the lower part of its mouth sagging downwards noticeably. Strangely enough, though, the BOT came back _again_ for another attack towards Hank, only slower. However, the effect wasn't the BOT's doing.

It was Hank's bullet-time.

Before the BOT was even able to raise a single robotic muscle, Hank had struck a series of blows aiming at every pressure point he could remember with every ounce of strength he had. The results were devastating, with the BOT shaking violently with every hit.

A few more punches and kicks later, it was all over. Hank had nearly blacked-out from the amount of energy he used in bullet-time, but he'd done it.

He'd won.

Breathing heavily and holding his aching right side, Hank turned to Agent 574. Behind him though, the rest of Hank's team was staring at the young trainee, eyes widened and jaws slack.

574 clapped. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant for a first try. Of course there's definitely room to improve, and I'm sure you can tell where, but you've done good. The funniest thing is; you have no idea what you just managed to do right now, do you?"

Thinking for a few seconds, Hank shook his head. "Uhh…nope. Sorry."

The older man chuckled. "Thought so. But don't worry about it as of now; you've earned your place in this group."

Hank smiled at the back of his head. Finally, he was accepted.

"Thank you."

After sitting back down, Agent 574 stood in front of them all, arms crossed behind his back.

"Well, excellent job, all of you! First day on the accelerated course and you've already made good progress. Learn from where you screwed up and keep in mind of the advice I give you. Now then, follow me to the exit; it's time for Shane to give you his lessons."

Happy for such a short yet slow lesson, the squad complied with their teacher-of-sort's demands and followed him to the door. Just before leaving, though, everyone had formed a single-file line and pulled out their cards, which confused Hank greatly.

574 pulled out what seemed like a small black scanner from inside his trenchcoat. Then, he took each card, swiped it in the scanner, and gave it back to its rightful owner.

Hank, being last in line, came to 574 with a confounded look.

"Pull out the keycard for your room." The agent instructed.

Hank did so, and handed it to Agent. The man swiped it through his machine and handed it back.

"What I just did right now was give you Credits; the form of currency we use here in the Agency. You can use those Credits to buy anything you like; food, armor, weapons, and even drugs to boost your fighting attributes. But I can't explain those to you now; you'll have to go down to the 'Stat Boosting Station' on your own time to figure out what I mean. Anyways, each lesson, mission, or requirement you complete gives you more Credits, which of course means more stuff. In fact, training on your free time also gives you Credits as well. Buying stuff around here though is pretty expensive, so I suggest you start saving up and working for it." Mikhail explained.

574 clasped his hands. "And that's pretty much it! You've got two Units of Credits as of now, so play it smart and it'll make your life easier in this place. Now go on; it's time for you to go with the rest of the squad to Shane. It would be rude to keep him waiting after all, and I'm sure he won't be happy after what I did to the doorbell and the BOTs."

Hank nodded, running off to follow the rest of his team. They seemed pretty confident in what they were doing, so that just meant Hank was the only one who was clueless out of all of them.

* * *

In a separate room, Shane and his two engineering partners sat, glued to a plasma TV running a replay of Hank's battle.

"Did you just see that!?" One of them exclaimed, "That…that _kid_ just used bullet-time!"

"I know Felix." Shane calmly told his partner, "574 told me about him."

"This is insane!" Felix continued, "He's only _fifteen!_ It takes the majority of our agents TEN YEARS to achieve that amount of skill! How is this even possible!?"

"Agent suggested that it could be genetic. And it's really hard not to believe him. There's no other way to explain it anyways." Shane said, still keeping his cool.

"That explains why The Higher Powers are so interested in Hank; he has the potential to flip this whole war around." the second engineer added.

Shane shook his head. "It's not only him, Darius. Rumor has it that The Higher Powers are also interested in two more people. One of which is already in our hands, and the other is still resting in society."

"You're talking about… _those_ two?" Felix asked.

Shane nodded. "Yes them. _**Sanford and Deimos**_."

Darius frowned. "We shouldn't worry about those two as of now. It's too early to decide as of what we should do with them. Sanford still hasn't begun the key portion of his training yet, and Deimos isn't even in the Agency's captivity at all. Our focus must be on Hank."

Shane crossed his arms. "Agreed."

The three of them played the videotape with Hank over and over again, analyzing his battle sequences. From Hank's point of view, the fight was merely nothing, but from an outsider's, it really was something out of this world.

**If the A.A.H.W. found out about this, all Hell's going to break loose.**

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A/N: Finally, I'm done with this chapter! It's 4,780 words, so it's pretty long. My update times have become slower than ever, and if it wasn't for Dodge, Sacrom, and many others inspiring me, I think this would've taken longer to complete! So if you wanna thank someone for making this come now, they're the ones you're looking for!

Let's get through this quick so I can upload this faster.

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_**Reviewers' Credits (For Hank's Legacy):**_

_**DodgeStreaker:**_ Thank you for the review! I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long, but I hope this chapter suited your needs as well! I love your new chapter to "_Madness Combat: Horrors_" so keep up the good work there as well! :)

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_**The Dark Madness Dragon:**_ I'm glad you liked how I introduced DJ. I did my best and I hope he was cool enough here in this chapter as well. Thanks for the review; really appreciate it bro!

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_**Kagami:**_ Thanks for the review, and sorry about that little slip-up. I might have read something wrong in the profiles you gave me which might have caused it. And…yes, strangely enough, you're right. The J in Hank J. Wimbleton is a reference to Julia (which just shocked me as to how fast you caught onto that)!

I hope Hina and Eli looked good in this chapter dude!

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_**Reviewers' Credits (For Noises in the Dark):**_

_**DodgeStreaker: **_LOL, glad you liked it! Yeah it was pretty random, but I'm proud of it and I suppose that's what really counts!

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_**The Dark Madness Dragon: **_Thank you for the positive comment! And yeah…I'll take your advice about the ice-cream. Doesn't sound that pleasant when you try to visualize it…

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_**Guest:**_ Thank you! It's great to hear that people found my humor entertaining! :)

* * *

And that's it. Frankly, I'm getting pissed off at myself for such slow updates. It saddens me to see people disappointed when they can't read the next chapter of my story. I promise to speed things up if I can and if school tends to slow down a bit.

Special thanks go to Lerioi, who actually spent the time reading my fics. For those of you who may not know her, Lerioi is one of the founders of Madness Combat Fanfiction, and is still very active on Deviantart (though her Fanfiction page is now abandoned). She's still writing there, and she has some good stuff. Also, another big thanks to Sacrom574, because he worked all of last night on editing/beta-raping (that's what he likes to call it) this chapter so I could upload it now! Really appreciate it!

Lastly, let's get to O.C. Credits:

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_**O.C. Credits:**_

_**Mikhail/Agent574: **_by **Sacrom574**

_**DJ Anderson:**_by **The Dark Madness Dragon**

_**Eli:**_by **Kagami**

_**Hina:**_by **Kagami**

_**Shane:**_ by **DodgeStreaker**

* * *

Done. Everyone else is by me or Krinkels (but I'm pretty sure you guys can tell who is who's creation).

I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, oh so sorry that updates have came in so late! School is really getting worse and I'm stacked with my own life to deal with. The next chapter will hopefully come in more quickly, and I'm surprised you guys are still even following this story after so long!

But anyways, enough ass-kissing. I'd like to thank you all for your patient support! It means a lot to have such dedicated fans reading your work!

With nothing else to say, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy, and see you all (hopefully) soon!

~Spirit9871


	15. Peer Pressure and Pressure Points

_**Note:**_ The beginning of this chapter was thought up/originates from DodgeStreaker. A small asterisk (*) will be placed from where she wrote it to where it ends.

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Chapter 15: Peer Pressure and Pressure Points

* * *

*Shane stood up stiffly as the three continued to watch a replay of the squads' fights-mainly Hank. He grabbed his hoodie and headed towards the door, leaving his two engineering partners to watch in awe. As he reached for the doorknob he turned his head back to them. First he was going to have to train these guys, and then fix the "doorbell", and THEN the BOTs. How lovely...

"Hey, do me a favor: get off your lazy asses and fix those BOTs! I've already got enough shit I got to both build AND fix!"* He shouted behind him.

Felix and Darius stared at each other for a few seconds, likely deciding who would do what.

Darius pointed at Felix; "You're fixing the BOTs that kid destroyed. I'm doing the doorbell."

Felix frowned. "The Hell!? What makes you boss? In fact, I'M the one who should be ordering YOU, since I've been here longer!"

Darius rolled his eyes. "Right, which is why you're more familiar with those metal pieces of shit than I am. I'm the newest engineer here, remember? So I should get more benefits."

Being the kind of person that was never good at winning arguments, Felix stood up; frustrated like never before.

"I swear to God…"

Darius grinned as Felix left the room. He continued to watch the recording on the screen in front of him. He could fix the doorbell later; right now, this was much more important.

…_For reasons __**outside**__ of the Anti-A.A.H.W…_

* * *

The first thing Hank felt was a blast of cool air blowing on his face. It didn't take him long to realize that they had walked through some odd back-door to the chilly domain of Mother Nature.

Aaron sneezed. "Shit. It's always so cold in Nevada."

Hina turned to him. "That's because The Sheriff's messing around with the Improbability Drive. It's a good thing he doesn't have more of those things running out there; otherwise the A.A.H.W. would tear the universe into shreds."

Aaron gazed down with a cold stare. "…Yeah. That bastard's gotta pay...He took away too much from me…"

Hank stared down at the ground himself; clenching his fists. The Sheriff had made his life this way. And for every minute he wasn't in the orphanage with Julia, he would promise to blast a bullet into the tyrant's skull.

Dead silence followed amongst the group. It seemed as though everyone was listening in and had something on their minds as well.

It was then that Hank realized that just like him; his squad was hungry for revenge.

_"Sorry to keep you all waiting, but duty calls."_

Hank and the others turned around to see the same man who had programmed the BOTs himself.

Shane.

Shane had his hands in his pockets, watching his breath visibly fume out of his mouth. Feeling the negative vibe from the group, he frowned.

"What's the matter? Upset about the freezing weather? Well you better get used to it, because unless we get rid of the A.A.H.W., things are going to be like this for a LONG while."

Hina slowly shook her head. "It's not the temperature, sir. We've just been discussing some…_things._"

Shane's look of disapproval melted away into understanding. He stared at the solemn group for a few seconds, but then turned his head up into the sky.

Gray clouds. Gray clouds everywhere.

Shane sighed, closing his eyes into a distant memory with his jet-black hair drifting softly in the air. He remembered his own first days at the Agency; those strangely nostalgic thoughts of fear and excitement.

But now was not the time for remembering.

** Now was the time for training.**

Opening his eyes with newfound confidence, he turned to his students.

"…Right. To those of you who have just begun the Accelerated Course, my name is Shane, and you will refer me as so. Normally, I'd be working as an engineer down at the lab, but things have started to change recently, so I'm going to have to be your secondary mentor while Agent is busy doing his own shit. However, I specialize in a much more complex field of combat; pressure and vital points. If you follow my class accordingly, then by the end of this course, you will be able to strike and kill an opponent with three hits or less."

That was an interesting eye-opener.

"Agent 574 has taught you all what to do in a fight. I'm going to show you _how_. The human body is a machine. And just like any machine, there are flaws to it. There are exactly 385 pressure-points in our anatomy. Know and master a good deal of them, and you will be able to kill almost anyone that comes in your way. However, whatever I'm going to teach you must be used aggressively ONLY in combat missions. Do not use this against your partners at full force; we don't want any corpses littering our floors." Shane advised.

Seeing that everyone was following him, Shane nodded in approval.

"It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. All that martial-arts mumbo-jumbo you see from real people focus primarily on these points. Since we're going to take it slow first, I'm going to teach you six of the most efficient, yet least focused points of the body. And I'm not talking about those cliché spots like the eyes and skins. Well then, who would like to help me make a demonstration?"

Of course, Aaron was the first one to explode into suggestion.

"I'll do it!" He yelled out.

"Great. Stand here." Shane instructed, gesturing to the space in front of him.

Following his superior's orders, Aaron excitedly ran to where Shane referred to.

"First off," Shane began, "the temples. It's a pretty basic maneuver; if you can hit someone hard enough on these points, you can either knock them out or even kill them."

Shane rolled his hand up into a fist, bent his index finger, and stuck it out halfway.

"This is called a 'phoenix eye' punch. Obviously, you can't just mindlessly slap your enemy at these spots, so this is the move you're looking for. Just like on the blunt side of a knife, the phoenix eye punch can become a fatal move if you use it right."

Shane placed his "phoenix eye" onto one of Aaron's temples. At first, after applying minimum force, Aaron actually seemed relaxed. But then, when he did it harder, Aaron's eyes widened.

"Ow!" he yelped out.

Shane moved back. "Simple; only make sure you're smacking someone instead of just pressing into their head. Next, we have what the Japanese call the _'Dokko'_ point."

While Aaron rubbed his sore head, Shane turned his head to the side, pointing to the hollow spot behind the earlobe.

"Now _this_ is a place you want to hit if you really want to fuck up someone's day. Do it right, and you can cause nerve damage to the brain, which is pretty much _death_ in painful terms, unhinging of the jaw, and even hearing loss."

Shane lightly tapped the area on Aaron's head. Again, Aaron flinched and stepped back as a jolt of pain shot through his body.

"Ah, hey, not so hard! I need that ear ya know!" Aaron yelled at Shane.

Shane smirked. "Hey, you wanted to be the test dummy. So shut it and start acting like one."

Aaron frowned and shook off the soreness.

"Right, third point; the '_Hichu'_. It's right between where the neck and chest meet, smack below the Adam's apple. This is a vital point that even a fool could cause death with. A normal punch to this area is obviously more than enough to screw someone over. Then, you can watch as your foe dies a slow death from a suppressed wind-pipe."

Shane quickly knocked Aaron in the 'Hichu' before he could move away. Aaron made a quick gasp of air as he felt the hit.

"Fourth point - the _'Kote'_. Located at the inner crease of the elbow, hit this point with a hammer fist."

Shane grabbed Aaron's arm out and hit him lightly on the vital spot. Aaron's arm jerked upwards, but he groaned as the back of his arm suddenly went somewhat numb.

"This can help buy you some time while your opponent stresses about the pain. However, if you execute this move the way karate masters would, the results are devastating yet hard to believe. Fainting, instant death, or even causing a death that continues over a span of time due to heart deterioration can happen."

Aaron had enough. He turned around to sit down, but was stopped by Shane.

"Just two more Aaron. Be patient." Shane whispered uncomfortably in Aaron's ear.

Aaron sighed, walking back up to Shane. He volunteered for this, so he figured he might as well suck it up and just Shane do whatever he has to.

"Fifth point; the _'UchiKuroBushi'._This part of the body is located between the ankle and foot, below the bony protrusion on the inside of the lower ankle. Move down and forward of the protrusion and you'll find the cavity. Hit that hard enough and your opponent's going to have something else to worry about in your fights.

With a decisive kick from his foot, Shane hit Aaron in the indicated spot. Aaron tripped up, almost falling to the ground. The only thing that kept him from yelling out a string of vulgar profanities towards Shane was the fact that he only had one more demonstration to show.

"And lastly, we have the webbing of the hands. If someone tries to make a grab for you, push into the webbed area between the index finger and the thumb. That outta make them let go. Do it well enough and you could cause some serious damage to their hand."

Shane turned to Aaron. Aaron pouted, but stuck out his hand. Shane pinched him hard, which made Aaron shriek loudly, and the rest of the squad to cover their ears.

Aaron rubbed his hand. "Shit! That _REALLY_ hurt!"

Smirking, Shane took a step back. "And thus, concludes the six pressure points. Now then, watch closely as I do it all together-"

"Aw, no." Aaron said as he slowly began to step backwards, speed increasing over time."No, no, _no_, NO, **NO, **_**NO**_!"

Shane laughed. "Well, I think you all at least get the idea. I'm going to leave sheets about the majority of the pressure points you should know in the human body. Each one will have a name, location, and listing of all the painful damage you can cause. Now then, next up is disarming training…"

And that's how it was for the next few hours or so. Shane taught them all the necessary basic combat techniques they would need against the A.A.H.W. and cracked jokes to lighten the mood, which canceled out the continuous pain each young agent felt as their pressure points were violated time and time again. After about an hour, Shane raised a hand to stop them all.

"That's far enough. You guys did very well today. But just remember that this is only the beginning. I taught you a lot for your level, and I expect you to use it when the time comes."

Shane grinned as the majority of Hank's team fell on their backsides in relief. The first few months of the Accelerated Course were always the worst, but they eventually become bearable over time.

The sound of combat boots on snow reached his ears and he turned to face Agent 574 and, to his shock, Corey.

Shane raised his eyebrows. "Corey! It's been a while! It's not like you drop by here so often!"

As Corey took out his phone to communicate, Shane noticed that the informant was sweating. In fact, his back seemed a bit hunched - a sign of exhaustion after running very far, very fast.

Shane frowned. That was odd... since when was Corey ever in a rush?

After a few seconds, Shane felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. He pulled it out, input the password, and pulled up Corey's message. His eyes scanned the message quickly, and then narrowed in confusion.

He looked back up at the informant. "Are you sure? How do you know your information is valid?"

Corey typed in another message. Several seconds later it appeared on Shane's screen, and once again his eyes went to work.

"Jebus H. Christ…what the hell?" He muttered.

574 turned to Shane and whispered in his ear. "This is serious. If the A.A.H.W. comes through with their plans, shit's gonna hit the fan."

Hank sat up a bit, positioning himself to hear the conversation better. The others in his team have seemingly ignored the conversation Shane, Corey, and Agent were in, but Hank was smart enough to know that there was something very wrong here.

Shane stood upright. "Fine. If that's the case, I'll go. There's no way I'm letting this happen."

"That's not the best idea as of now, Shane." Mikhail warned, "You need to realize that we have to stay here to protect and train the next generation. Especially _him_. The Higher Powers would not want us to abandon our positions all willy-nilly for a mission."

Hank didn't need to think twice to know that they were referring to him.

Shane looked down at the ground, clearly troubled.

"What do you propose we do then?"

More typing from Corey. Shane looked down at his phone.

"Send out a duo? The majority of our best agents are already on missions. Who else do we have left?" Shane questioned.

"Enzo and Axel would do. I'm more than certain their training will pay off." Mikhail suggested.

Shane sighed. "Alright. If this is what you guys find as best, then go for it."

Nodding, 574 turned and set off at a run back into the base to give his orders out to The Higher Powers, who he hoped would approve of the plan. Corey looked back at Shane.

"And you? Why don't you stay here and take a break? You seem tired." Shane offered.

Corey shook his head, typing up more text on his cell. Shane read it, and nodded.

"If you say so, Corey. Just remember - you're always welcome here."

This time it was Corey's turn to nod. He turned to Hank and the two held out a heated stare. After a few seconds, he coolly turned around and left the area.

Hank walked up to Shane when he saw he was free. "Is everything alright?"

Shane blinked; forgetting the fact that Hank was right behind him. "Y-yeah, sure! Everything's fine! Just keep calm and train."

_But Shane's eyes said otherwise._

* * *

With confusion about the fuss Corey made and curiosity plaguing his mind, Hank returned back to his quarters. He would have a few hours of relaxation until he would force himself to go back out and explore the Agency some more.

Bored yet exhausted, Hank looked around the large room he was in. It was somewhat strange; the place was quickly becoming his second home, as if he was more comfortable here in the safe and secure walls rather than the orphanage's.

Hank slowly shook his head. No. Nothing would replace his life back then. Julia and the rest of his home were imprinted into his head.

And scars like that don't heal. Ever.

Trying to avoid the depressing thoughts of the past, Hank reorganized his schedule. First, he would check out that "Stat Boosting Station" 574 was talking about. Though he really couldn't buy anything other than two candy-bars with 4 Credits, the Station interested him greatly. Also, maybe he could go and do some individual training to catch up with the rest of the group. Hank was more than certain Mikhail would approve of that.

Laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, Hank continued recollecting himself. His muscles hurt like Hell, thanks to Mikhail and Shane, but if this is what he had to do to get revenge, then he'll do it.

Suddenly, the door in the room swooshed upwards, and Hank jolted up from the unexpected guest.

"Your next mission starts in ten minutes!" A man outside yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to give me that shit Gunner. Just give me a break, for fuck's sake." The young man entering yelled back.

"Fine; do whatever the fuck you want, see if I care! Just make sure you get to the meeting spot ON TIME! The higher-ups don't have time for bullshitting, _**Nikolai!**_"

Waving the man off, Nikolai shut the door behind him. When he looked up and saw Hank lying on the bed, he frowned.

"Oh. It's you."

Now Hank wasn't happy either.

_'This guy sure knows how to start a friendly conversation…'_ Hank thought to himself.

An awkward silence followed afterwards. Nikolai eventually looked down and began shuffling through some of his stuff in the drawer in front of him. Then, Nikolai began stuffing his pockets with whatever he thought was necessary, and closed his drawer.

Hank watched Nikolai do so, analyzing his physical features. The young man was somewhat built, wearing a light protective vest (which was noticeably covered in blood), black combat boots, and a dark green shirt and pants which added on to his brown hair and eyes.

Nikolai stretched his arms outwards, and checked his watch. Looking back at Hank once more, he headed out of the room.

But before he stepped through the doorway, he stopped and turned his head to one side…Hank's side.

_"I'm going to warn you right here and right now; don't get in my way, don't touch my stuff, and don't fuck around with me. I don't give a quarter of a shit about what happens to you; only think of me as your roommate, nothing more."_

Before Hank was able to reply, Nikolai was gone, leaving the trainee all alone in the dark and eerily quiet room.

Hank fell on his back on the bed; laying his arms carelessly outwards to his sides. He sighed.

**_Yep… home sweet home.  
_**

* * *

A/N:Whew! I'm done, and THANK GOD! I'm starting to get that writing vibe all over again! And it feels good baby; oh so good!

Tomorrow marks the start of our 11 day break from school! And that's definitely promising moar chapters! By the end of this break, I'm hoping for at least 5 more chapters on Hank's Legacy! Hell, maybe even 7 if I can push myself!

Okay, enough with that; time for Reviewers' Credits:

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits (For Hank's Legacy):**_

_**DodgeStreaker: **_lol, thanks for the review! And I'm glad you're happy about the violence, because ME GUSTA the Madness too!

* * *

_**The Dark Madness Dragon:**_Thanks dude! I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter! Also, thanks for the great compliments! I don't really think I'm THAT great of a writer, but I suppose Sacrom574 deserves some credit too for editing the story at some…_weird_ places!

P.S., I'm glad that you gave me pie instead of cake! Because cake's a fucking lie.

* * *

Thanks you guys! Moving on now!

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

_**Mikhail/Agent574: **_by **Sacrom574**

_**DJ Anderson:**_by **The Dark Madness Dragon**

_**Eli:**_by **Kagami**

_**Hina:**_by **Kagami**

_**Shane:**_ by **DodgeStreaker**

_**Corey**_**: **by **DodgeStreaker**

_**Nikolai:**_ by **Nikolai247**

* * *

And that also concludes our O.C. credits. Thank you all for sticking to this story even after such rough times! I'm really happy to have such dedicated and loyal fans of Madness Combat!

Also, more importantly, the Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution has established a page on DeviantArt! I'm going to put the link to it on my profile, so for those of you who want to join and have a DA account, come on by! We're willing to accept any and all requests!

So thus ends Chapter 15. I'm really shocked we've gotten this far, but we're still too far behind. I need to start writing more so you guys can start reading more! And this break promises just that!

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy! See ya later!

~Spirit9871


	16. Extra Credits

Chapter 16: Extra Credits

* * *

After his awkward union with his new and first partner, Hank headed to the "Stat Boosting Station" 574 had told him about before. It was on the first floor, which itself was an elevator ride away.

Three or four minutes later, Hank was at his destination. It was a surprisingly large shop with a simple entrance that stood near the armory and the training rooms. Walking in, Hank saw shelves upon shelves of pills around him.

Hank continued to analyze his environment. The place looked a lot like one of those drugstores you'd see down at the neighborhood, only there weren't any cut-outs of celebrities selling you products they wouldn't dare test on themselves.

As Hank was doing so, someone had approached him from behind.

"You like what you see?"

Hank turned around to see the shop-owner's face. He had short black hair with green eyes, a white shirt with blue jeans, black shoes and a friendly smile.

Hank nodded. "It's pretty impressive, but I'm kinda not sure what all this exactly is…Mr…"

The man rose up a hand. "Please, just call me Selig. And to answer your question, the Stat Boosting Station is a fairly simple place to understand. After receiving a certain amount of Credits, people come here for some of these."

Selig pulled out 5 different small bottles from his shelves and placed it on the counter nearby Hank. They all had the same, round-shaped pills, only each was a different color. "Each bottle here has a different purpose."

Selig pointed to the one filled with red pills. "The first one is filled with what we call _Vigorants_. These are used to boost the strength in a human's body rapidly. In other words, while your friends are busy lifting weights for a month, just take two of these small capsules everyday for that same month and you'll be as strong as them, if not, stronger."

Then, he pointed to the second one filled with light-blue pills. "This one is filled with _Accelerants_. It's to improve dexterity, hence the name. It's pretty much the same thing - while your friends are busy running ten miles on a track everyday for a month, you take two of these every day instead and become just as fast, if not faster."

Next were the yellow pills. "And the pills here are called _Stratigents_. With these, it boosts something crucial in combat; battle tactics. You'll be able to make better choices in fights and kick ass with a style that'll make your enemy piss himself."

Fourth were the green ones. "These are _Endurants_. Title says it all - helpful when you want to wear heavy armor and take hits without flinching."

Selig moved on to the last bottle with purple pills. "And lastly, these are _Awareants._ These help make your brain more aware about the open spots in your enemies. Helpful when you have to fight the big guys."

Hank nodded in comprehension. He looked around but still saw that the bottles came with different sizes and different descriptions.

"Okay, I get that. But why are there different bottles of this stuff around here?"

Selig chuckled. "You've got quite the watchful eye. These pills are divided into three classes: A-Class, B-Class, and C-Class. The bottles I've put aside for you right here are C-Class. C-Class is for anyone to have as long as they have the credits for it. B-Class is for people who've had at least some experience on the field and they can take the higher-level drugs. But A-Class… that's for our top-notch agents. This stuff can actually kill you if you're too physically weak."

Hank blinked. "But how is this even possible? This is like steroids…only _without_ the side-effects! It sounds fictional!"

Selig went back to the counter, organizing some stuff. "Here's the secret; all the Vigorants, Accelerants, and Endurants really do is lessen pain and raise resistance in human muscles while the Stratigents and Awareants increase the IQ of an individual, like eating the Omega-3 in fish."

"Okay, I get the Stratigents and the Awareants parts, but I don't understand the Vigorants, Accelerants, and Endurants. How does numbing out your muscles help?" Hank questioned.

Selig began unpacking boxes. "When you exercise, there's always this feeling that stops you, like a tight pain in your legs, arms, abdomen, or anywhere else in your body, right?"

"Yeah."

"So basically, what these pills do is give you more endurance under training; giving you the power to push yourself even farther than your body would normally allow. You don't feel it, but you're growing with these pills. And that's the brilliance behind it." Selig finished explaining.

Hank stared down at his feet in silence. It made sense, but it all still seemed strange.

Then, something else bothered him.

"Why don't they just pass these around to everyone then? It would make us all stronger!" Hank argued.

"Because," Selig began, "People would abuse it. They would think that they don't have to work to grow stronger. And that's a problem since you need to understand _how_ to fight instead of only being strong. Otherwise, you're just a mountain of flesh ready to get shot. This is why we have trainers here; there are certain rules to combat that you must follow to stay alive. Without them, this Agency wouldn't have lasted longer than two weeks. Also, that's why every time you follow orders you get Credits. You have to earn what you want through hard work. And by doing this, we are promoting just that."

Content with this answer, Hank stood quiet. He picked up one of the C-Class bottles filled with Accelerants and noticed there was no price tag on it.

"How much is one bottle worth?" Hank asked.

Selig stopped what he was doing and turned to the trainee. "Judging from all these questions you've been asking me for the past five minutes, you must be a rookie, right?"

Hank nodded.

Selig laughed. "Well don't keep your hopes up about getting any of these anytime soon then! One C-Class bottle is worth 200 Credits!"

Hank felt his mouth hang slightly open. 200 Credits? He'd have to go through a total of 100 training lessons from either Mikhail or Shane just to get one stupid bottle?!

Sulking a bit, Hank placed the bottle back on the shelf. He turned to Selig, who was staring at him from the distance.

"Thank you." Hank said.

Hank stepped towards the door, but Selig stopped him with a sudden outcry.

"Wait!"

Hank turned around.

Selig smiled. "Listen kid; you're the first person who's had the decency to actually come by here and ask questions. Also, you didn't do it for the sake of stealing anything either. I've actually never done this before, but since you've been so polite, I'll give you one C-Class bottle for free. Just choose the one you want and you can get out of here with it."

Hank's face lit up. That was a shocker. He never thought honesty would actually pay off in a place like the Agency.

Hank stared at the long line of bottles that Selig left on the desk in front of him. He remembered the positive effects each one had. But the question was; which one would he choose? After all, it would definitely be a LONG while until he could come back here to get another bottle.

Finally, he picked the one with the light-blue pills up.

"This one."

Selig nodded. "The Accelerants? Interesting, most people around here go for the Vigorants since they only care about muscle. But alright, if that's what you want, come over here for me to scan out."

Following the man's orders, Hank gave the bottle to Selig and watched him scan the barcode on the container. Then, Selig stretched his hand out.

"Give me your keycard."

Hank gave Selig the card. He watched as the man scanned that too, and input the price: 0 Credits. Finally, he gave both back to Hank.

"Now remember, this is a secret between you and me, okay? Also, read the instructions VERY carefully. If you follow them, you should be fine." Selig instructed.

Hank wore a questioning look. "And if I don't?"

Selig's face suddenly turned serious. "Let me tell you a story. One of our former agents decided to come by here and steal one of the A-Class bottles before going on a mission… thought that we were bluffing about the warning labels. When he didn't show up for his mission, we looked for him, and what better place to start than to check his room? Found his body lying in the middle of his quarters, holding an empty bottle of A-Class Endurants. Sure enough, we realized that the idiot had swallowed every goddamn pill down. Remember what I told you about how these things numb your muscles out? Well, if overdosed, your vital organs basically just STOP. In other words, you better hope you can live an hour without your brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys."

Judging from how critical Selig was during the whole story, Hank took it as true to be on the safe side. He nodded.

"Got it - don't OD."

Selig made another wide grin. "You learn fast. Good. Now I suggest you hide that bottle before someone spots you with it; they're obviously going to know that a youngling like you shouldn't have something as advanced as that in your hands."

Thanking the shop-owner once more and bidding him goodbye, Hank pocketed both his keycard and the bottle from view. Eventually, he began walking down to the training hall where he would expect to see 574.

* * *

After what seemed like a short walk, Hank finally saw Agent 574, talking to his fellow colleagues. His clothing was spattered with blood, yet the man was calm like the eye of a storm.

When Hank noticed 574 was finally free, he tapped his teacher in the shoulder. 574 turned around and grinned.

"Ah, it's Hank! Talk to me."

A serious look on his face, Hank spoke:

"I want to try and train a bit more with the BOTS."

574 raised an eyebrow. It was rare to actually see a newly recruited agent say things like that, especially after what seemed like a tiring first day.

"What makes you so excited to fight, Hank? This is not necessary you know."

Hank shrugged. "Oh you know, just for some Credits and stuff. Nothing… special."

574 chuckled. "I'm pretty sure it's just more than that. But fine - if you're willing to keep going after the beating you took from this morning, then by all means do so. Wait in the locker room for now. I can't train you with all these distracting blood spills all over me."

Nodding, Hank walked off to where he remembered the changing room was. After a bit of struggle, he did manage to find it. It looked like one of those typical locker rooms you'd see in your high school. Nothing special.

After sitting for a few minutes on a bench, boredom began to overtake him. Then, remembering his bottle, Hank pulled it out and stared at the label.

* * *

[STAT BOOSTER PACK]

TYPE: ACCELERANTS

CLASS: C

CONTENTS: 60 PILLS

**INSTRUCTIONS: TAKE 2 PILLS A DAY FOR 30 DAYS. DEXTERITY INCREASE +3%**

**WARNING**: _**FAILURE TO PROPERLY FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AS LABELED ON CONTAINER WILL LEAD TO SIDE-EFFECTS. SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE; HEART FAILURE, LIVER FAILURE, ACUTE RENAL FAILURE (KIDNEY FAILURE), PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (LUNG FAILURE), AND FAILURE OF OTHER ORGANS AS WELL. RISK OF DEATH IS HIGH IF ONE EXPERIENCES THESE SYMPTOMS. IF YOU FEEL NAUSEOUS OR DIZZY AFTER TAKING THESE SUPPLEMENTS, IMMEDIATELY WARN A MEDIC NEAR YOU.**_

* * *

And that was pretty much it. Hank stared at the Warning label a bit more. Looks like Selig was right - this was some strong stuff.

Then, an idea flashed through Hank's head.

_What if he could take some right now?_

Were the effects immediate? Whoever that agent was that took the A-Class pills and died surely must've known that the results would kick in soon.

Suddenly, he caught footsteps – near silent, but growing louder and louder. If somebody caught him with this, he could get in trouble.

Quickly opening the cap, Hank swallowed two of the pills dry, closed the container, and crammed it into his pocket.

Almost as if on cue, 574 turned the last corner.

"Well comrade, are you ready for training?"

Hank placed his hands in his pockets in case if the pills might accidently slip out. "Yeah. Let's go."

574 led the way back to the Training Room. While they were walking, Hank found himself tasting the inside of his mouth. The pills…they didn't taste like much of anything…yet at the same time, they felt… _**funny.**_

Hank blinked. Wait a minute; didn't the container specifically say that he had to warn someone if he felt strange before the symptoms kicked in? No, maybe he's just overreacting. Maybe his body just wasn't used to the drugs before; that's all.

When 574 had led Hank to the white, empty room, he noticed a few other students he had never seen before, along with one kid he knew all too well.

Aaron.

Just as Hank noticed Aaron, Aaron did the same. Hank walked up to him, but Aaron was the first to speak.

"Hank? What are you doing here?"

Hank made a small chuckle. "I was about to ask you the exact same thing. I'm here just for some extra Credits. And you?"

Aaron frowned. "574 made me come here after the epic fail I pulled off this morning. It's bullshit in my opinion, I'd rather be sleeping in my bed right now than bruising myself with those fucking robots."

Hank laughed. "Well, good luck then."

"Thanks. You too."

Just like before, 574 summoned the BOTS to elevate from a panel that appeared from the floor. 574 turned to the others.

"Okay. So, the majority of you came here either because you needed the extra work, or for the sake of Credits. Each one of you will have one round with one BOT, simple enough, da? Da. I'm going to send out the ones with the higher levels first, and work down from there."

574 pointed to one trainee. He had long brown hair with black eyes, a black t-shirt with ripped jeans and white sneakers that went along with his muscular build. It was evident this one was experienced.

"Aidan. Go."

Silent, Aidan cracked his knuckles and turned to one of the BOTs. 574 punched a button and it began its routine scan.

_[Target Identified: Class: Heavy; Threat Level: 67%]_

Hank's eyes widened. Sixty-Seven percent? That blew his squad's numbers out of the waters!

To his shock though, when he turned to Aaron, he noticed that he seemed more glum and depressed than surprised. Normally something like this would pump him up. So why was he so quiet all of the sudden?

Shunning that thought to the back of his head, Hank turned around to Aidan and the BOT. 574 spread a hand.

"Do I even have to say it?"

The BOT's speed was quadrupled compared to the speed Hank had to face against. It was insane; even Hank is in doubt that if the BOT was set at that level his bullet-time would help.

Aidan noticeably turned his body to the side in his fighting stance. When the BOT had charged at him, he grabbed its arm and flipped it over his back.

The BOT hit the floor with a loud BANG as pieces flew everywhere. Normally, this was more than enough to deactivate the BOTs Hank and his group had to deal with, but the BOT had somehow managed to kick-flip itself back onto its feet; turning around angrily towards Aidan.

Surprisingly, Aidan wasn't shocked in the least. He stared at the metal contraption and flowed into his fighting stance again. This time when the BOT rushed in, he took the defense and blocked five insanely rapid punches. Then, Aidan did something Hank couldn't believe.

He flipped three feet in the air behind the BOT and did a _karate-chopped it_ underneath its left "earlobe"; one of the pressure points Shane taught Hank's group.

Again, Hank was dumbfounded. What the Hell was that? Surely Aaron must be as blown away as he was!

But once more, Aaron sat silent; staring intensely at the fight.

Just like Shane had taught them, the BOT's jaw unhinged, and a noticeable red bolt of electricity went up its spine. The BOT was paralyzed in what seemed like pain, but before it could recollect itself, Aidan simply walked behind it; placing his left hand on the top of the BOT's head, and his right on the back of its neck.

_"Sweet dreams…"_ Aidan whispered near its ear.

The next move was practically horrifying. Aidan had pulled the BOT's cranium backwards and its neck forward, creating extreme pressure. A few seconds later, there was a loud _**snap**_, and Aidan had the BOT's head in his hands.

The cords from the inside of the neck stuck out, useless and defeated. Oil suddenly began gushing out of the BOT's severe injury, and Aidan let go of the robot. The BOT fell forward, headless, as Aidan held the BOT's skull in his hand, covered in black tar.

Hank found himself gaping with a bead of sweat forming on the side of his head. Was this how the levels above him trained?

Aaron still said nothing.

574 stared at Aidan, face expressionless. He jotted something down on the iPad in his hands and nodded.

"Good. You've taken down level 20 without a scratch on you. Hell, I'll push you up to level 23 just because you've done so well. Nice work, take a seat, and you'll get your Credits at the end of class."

Aidan dropped the BOT's dislocated head and began walking back to the end of the wall. While 574's back was turned as he cleaned up the devastated machine, Aidan wiped his oil-slick hand on the side of Aaron's face.

Aidan grinned. "Remember, you have my Credits too."

Hank narrowed his eyes as Aidan walked away to his friends. Aidan had managed to surprise Hank twice before, but that was just uncalled for.

Hank glanced at Aaron, who seemed to be sulking at the floor.

"What the Hell just happened?"

Aaron didn't even look up. "Don't ask."

Hank rotated his field of vision back to the middle of the room, following Aaron's orders. Because it was pretty clear what was going on.

Looks like he just found the Marvin of the Agency.

The next few rounds were pretty much Aidan's friends kicking some more ass. They weren't as good Aidan himself, but nonetheless, they were all clearly trained by pulling off unbelievable moves.

Eventually, it was Hank's turn. But for some reason, he felt a very large difference in his body as he stood up, particularly his legs. At first, they ached, but then he felt almost nothing.

574 set another BOT for Hank to handle. He moved out of the way for the trainee to have some space.

The BOT was activated.

_[Target Identified: Class: CQB; Threat Level: 22%]_

574 raised an eyebrow once again. Trainees didn't normally reach that level until they've gone through at least a few months of training. But thanks to the display Hank pulled off last time, the BOT must've learned its lesson.

Meanwhile, Hank was now definitely starting to feel the difference. His legs felt almost _lighter_, as if they were made of air, and his energy had suddenly shot up.

"GO!"

When the BOT had ran in, Hank already had the first move. The BOT's "ribs" first took a beating from Hank's roundhouse kick. Then, Hank continued his combo with two more punches in the chest and a smack right at the BOT's face. Because the BOT didn't realize Hank had gone up a level in speed, it could barely catch up to the teenager.

In the space of a second, Hank understood the purpose of what Shane had drilled into him. Pumping back his fist, Hank remembered to aim for the _Hichu_- the part right below the Adam's Apple.

WHAM.

The BOT staggered back and fell to the ground. At first it had a spas attack on the ground for a few seconds, but then went limp.

Hank took a step back, pleased with his work. 574 nodded and wrote something else on his iPad.

"…That's quite the interesting show you've pulled out. You've seem to have grown faster after the training you've received this morning. _Much_ faster. Well, it seems as though there's no point keeping you at this level when the BOT can't even catch up to you, so congrats. You're on level 9 now."

Hank made a small frown at the back of his head. Nine? Aidan was level twenty for God's sake. Was he really that far behind?

This time though, Hank seemed to have interested Aaron. In fact, from the corner of his eye, he could see Aidan and his friends staring at him for a few seconds, and went back to their initial conversation.

Hank sat down next to Aaron. Aaron faced him.

"What the Hell? How the fuck did you get so fast?" Aaron questioned.

Hank shrugged – he couldn't tell anyone about his little secret with Selig. "I don't know. Maybe I was just in the mood."

"Pfft, yeah right." Aaron muttered, "That's got to be some kind of joke. This morning, that BOT was wiping your face on the floor until you pulled off…whatever the Hell that was and whipped its ass. And now, that stupid piece of metal can't even catch up to you."

Before Hank could say anything back, 574 began shouting.

"Aaron! Front and center!"

Pushing himself up, Aaron ran towards the arena. Hank sighed in relief; it seems as though Aaron can get annoyingly persistent at times.

Then he looked back down at himself. Aaron was right about one thing - there was definitely something different. If this is how much one dosage can give him, imagine how fast he'll be by the time the month is over…

Hank looked back up in time for the BOT to begin scanning Aaron.

_[Target Identified: Class: Assault; Threat Level: 8%]_

Aaron felt something snapped in the back of his head. The BOT was now underestimating him even more. But just as he remembered from 574, he had to control his anger.

Suddenly, Hank heard an outburst of laughter to his side.

"Eight percent! Suits you well Aaron!" one of Aidan's friends hollered.

A quick glare from 574 shut the group up. Even Hank himself was getting irritated.

Ignoring the rude outburst, Aaron got into his fighting stance.

"GO!"

The BOT went in with a quick kick to Aaron's sides. Focusing, Aaron blocked the attack, and dodged a second punch.

The BOT appeared to trip. Seeing this opportunity, Aaron sent an uppercut towards the faltering droid. But instead of taking the hit, the BOT fell on the floor and swept Aaron's legs from under him.

When Aaron hit the floor, he finally figured out why his offensive tactics had failed.

The BOT had performed a feint on him. And he fell for it like an idiot.

By the time Aaron was going to push himself back up, the BOT had both feet on his legs, disabling Aaron from going anywhere. Finally, it rose up a fist and aimed a kill-blow right between Aaron's nose and lips.

This was obviously the signal 574 needed to stop the fight. Once he did so, the BOT fell backwards into a state of deactivation.

More laughter followed from Aidan's group. Aaron sat up and began shaking his head in disbelief. Things were reaching to a point as to where Hank actually felt remorseful for the struggling fighter.

574 sighed. "Well, I really can't do anything here other than to keep you at this level Aaron. We can try again early tomorrow morning, but that's pretty much it."

Saying nothing, Aaron slowly walked back next to Hank. Now he even seemed worse than ever.

574 clasped his hands. "The Extra Credit training routine is done! After you guys get your Credits, go to the shower-rooms; you're all going to smell like horse ass if you don't."

* * *

Hank turned off the shower-head above him. Thankfully, the Agency was clean enough to reject sharing soap bars.

After wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked off to the lockers. Taking out his clothes, he began changing into the last pair of clothes he had.

Once he realized he was all set, Hank began walking out of the room. The shower felt great after spending days without one, so he was glad to get that over with.

But just before he could exit, Hank heard some struggling from nearby.

Hank stopped dead in his tracks. Sure enough, after turning to where the sounds were coming from, he saw what exactly was going on.

Aidan and his friends cornered Aaron.

Hank frowned as he saw Aidan's hand wrap around Aaron's throat.

"The Hell you think you're doing to my teammate?" Hank asked loudly.

Now Aidan was the one frowning. "Damn. I was really hoping your wimpy friend back there wouldn't spot us. Now I got two messes to clean up."

Hank watched as Aidan dropped Aaron to the ground. The poor rookie had begun gasping for air after his suffocation session.

Although Hank would've gone to Aaron to help him up, it was obvious now was not the best time for that.

"I'm going to ask again: the Hell you think you're doing with my teammate?" Hank repeated.

Aidan rolled his wrists around. "Oh, you know, he just owed us some debts; that's all."

_"Remember, you have my Credits too."_

Hank remembered all too well the words Aidan had whispered to Aaron. It was pretty clear that was the payment he was expecting.

Hank narrowed his eyes. "Those Credits belong to Aaron, and you damn well know it. You have no right to steal those from him, so do me a favor and fuck off."

Aidan chuckled softly while his comrades stood dead-silent with death-glares aimed right at Hank's skull. At least he wasn't as obnoxious as Marvin.

"You know, I used to remember a time when I was just like you. Acting all heroic and shit. But guess what? To survive here, you're going to have to do more than just play fair and nice. The Higher Powers don't resurrect everyone, you know. That's why I gotta 'borrow' some Cred from people like Shirmpy over here," Aidan explained, pointing towards an exhausted Aaron, "to get what I want."

Holding his composure, Hank already knew what Aidan was talking about again. "Stat Boosters. You're trying to make yourself a human Hulk by mooching off the lower-level agents and trading off those stolen Credits for those pills."

Aidan nodded. "You catch onto things I don't say. Smart boy…well, actually, not entirely. If you actually had any brains, you would be the one fucking off and shutting your mouth. I can see you're fresh around these parts, so I'll just give you another chance and let you and your smart-ass out of here."

Hank clenched his fists. He had been undermined before, but there was no way in Hell he would forfeit now, especially with Aaron trapped back there.

"Why don't you man up and make me?"

Though that line was quite threatening in its own way, it went through Aidan's head like a stupid joke. It was at this point, Aidan could not contain himself and burst out laughing.

"Get lost kid. I don't have time for the likes of you. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have any shit on you that's worth value to me."

Now Hank was the one with a nasty smirk. If this kid wanted pills, then he'll give him pills.

"Really? How about _these_?"

Hank smacked the bottle of _Accelerants_ onto a nearby bench for Aidan to see. At first, Aidan turned around slowly; thinking the kid was just messing with him now. But once he took in the fact that there was a bottle of Accelerants right next to Hank, his eyes widened.

"Where the Hell would a runt like you get _**those**_?" Aidan questioned.

Hank shook his head. "That's none of your business. Now then, if you want them, you're going to have to earn them. So let go of Aaron and show some balls."

Aidan sighed, letting go of the trainee. Aaron scampered off next to Hank, but tripped and fell in front of him. Aidan's squad laughed.

Hank helped Aaron up. "You okay?"

Ignoring this question, Aaron seemed almost horrified for his partner. "Hank…you're making a BIG mistake. These guys aren't trainees! They're actual agents who've gone on real combat missions before! You're going to get ripped apart!"

To Aaron's shock, Hank smiled.

"That's great. I always do love challenges."

Aaron groaned. "You don't understand…"

"Hey!"

Hank and Aaron turned to Aidan.

"Listen, I don't got time for whatever bullshit you two have in store for me, so let's get this over with so we can get our pills. If it's a fight you want, then we'll gladly give you the honor of whipping your asses."

Hank got into a fighting stance, pocketing the pills once more. He didn't need one of those bozos robbing him while he was in the middle of combat.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Aaron stood up next to Hank and got ready to fight too.

"Fine. Let's do this." Aaron muttered.

Hank looked at his partner. "Aaron, are you sure? I did all that just so you can get out of here. Not so we can both be in this situation."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks. But you know how much of an ass I'd look like if I just left you here? You are my squadmate after all."

Hank laughed. "If you say so."

Aidan cracked his knuckles loudly. Two trainees against five full-fledged agents? This would be too easy.

"Black Snake Squadron: GO!" he ordered.

The second that sentence hit everyone's ears, Hank and Aaron were being charged by five muscular people at once. In fact, now that Hank was actually seeing this fight go down, he was starting to wish he never made such a catastrophe. But there was no turning back now.

If he could handle Marvin's gang, then he could handle these guys too.

The large squad divided into two groups; three people on Hank and three people on Aaron. Their numbers were overwhelming, and it was clear how this fight was going to turn out.

Hank blocked two punches from the first agent and sent back a single punch when he saw an opening. Though he did manage to push his enemy back only a few inches, Hank realized that he practically did little to no damage against the fighter. Sure enough, he found himself being side-kicked a few feet across the room. His stomach cried out in pain, but he pulled through and got back up.

Aaron wasn't doing so well either. In fact, he couldn't even block any of the attacks anyone would send him, as a flurry of fists knocked him backwards.

Hank saw Aaron fly back next to him. Aaron tried to get back up, but he held his sides and fell back onto the floor.

One of Aidan's squadmates laughed. "Are you kidding me? That punk didn't even land a scratch on any of us! And he's already fried fish!"

Hank figured that if this kept up, Aaron and him would find themselves in the Infirmary. He knew that he had to pull off a miracle to at least get out of this.

Closing his eyes, he began focusing. Maybe he could release that burst of power he had with the BOT this morning and win this fight.

_"Focus…"_ Hank thought to himself.

Aidan got tired of Hank's and Aaron's antics. "You know what? Fuck this; let's end it right here and now!"

The six combatants charged at Hank at full force. Right before they would be able to land a hit, Hank snapped his eyes back open… and time slowed.

Although the rest of the squad continued dashing at their target, Aidan stopped running when he noticed Hank's change in behavior.

Hank saw the first agent's fist aim for his cheekbone. He parried to the side and sent a strong punch towards his chest.

The second came in with his leg snapping at Hank, but Hank had managed to kick his open leg and knock him to the ground.

The third sent an uppercut to Hank's chin. Once more, Hank dodged this and returned a round-house kick to the young man's left ribcage.

The fourth did a sweep towards Hank to knock him off. Instead, Hank jumped and snapped his foot right at his face.

The fifth and last charging target in front of Aidan did a martial-arts-like spinning kick at Hank's skull. Hank ducked and replied with a nice firm punch to the crotch.

Hank continued running and saw he was open for an attack at Aidan. Pumping back his right fist, Hank sent his powerful assault right at Aidan's face.

_"EAT THIS, MOTHERFUCKER!"_ Hank yelled.

A large SMACK was made as knuckles met with flesh. By the time Hank had finished his bullet-time, Aidan's five teammates were on the ground; stunned by the unexpected pain. Aaron gaped as he saw the insane progress Hank had made.

But it wasn't good enough.

Instead of flying back, Aidan stood in front of Hank; still as a rock. He began chuckling, which then turned to laughter.

"Wow. That was pretty good. I never thought I would meet a trainee with Bullet-Time."

Hank blinked. So that's what it was called?

Suddenly, with utter horror, Hank realized that his fist hadn't even left a bruise on the man's face. In fact, there was barely even a mark left from where he had done the attack.

Aidan gripped Hank's hand before he could pull back. Hank yelled out in pain as he felt the young man's strong grip crushing his wrists.

_**"Let me show you what real Bullet-Time is."**_

Aidan shoved Hank back to make some room. Before Hank could even rub the sore-spot, Aidan had knocked him right off his feet. Hank couldn't even see his movements as Aidan's figure seemed to fade behind him from his intense speed.

Just before Hank could hit the ground, Aidan sent a punch towards his falling body, knocking him into a locker. Hank fell forward after making impact with the metal behind him; pain eating his body away.

Standing up, Hank continued to see Aidan's faded movements trace at him. He tried to send a counter-punch at Aidan, but instead, his fist only met air.

Then, Aidan made a move that nobody would expect. He jumped onto one of the lockers on his side, pushed off with his feet, flipped in the air, and sent a perfect kick right at Hank's left cheek. The force was so immense, that Hank found himself eight feet away from where he originally was.

"Hank!" Aaron shouted before being muffled by Aidan's other friends.

Hank laid on his back; defeated. His body felt like lead, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get up.

Suddenly, a swift kick hit him hard in the ribs. Hank gasped; blood coming out of his mouth.

"I told you not to fuck with me. You would be dead right now if I was actually trying. Serves you right for being the smartass."

Another kick; more blood.

Aaron tried to yell out, but his mouth was covered from freedom.

A third kick; Hank's vision was getting hazy.

A fourth; Hank began seeing red.

And a fifth.

Hank blacked out.

* * *

A/N: Whew! 6,000 words! That's definitely something I should be proud of! Sorry if this chapter was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too long; I just had so many ideas! In fact, this was originally planned to be longer with some extra scenes coming in, but there was no way I could carry this on with this word count! Hell, I think this is the largest Chapter I've written TO DATE!

So, before we spam the word-count, let's get to Reviewers' Credits:

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits (For Hank's Legacy):**_

_**DodgeStreaker: **_Thanks again for the review! I hope this chapter made up for the last one's shortness, because it was seriously a pain in the ass to write and finish. Also; yes, as I told you before, I did Google that fact. It's actually quite interesting if you spend some time reading on about it!

Thanks Dodge! :)

* * *

_**SirPolarBear: **_Hehe, well, I love mixing combat with humor and education! It's one Hell of a combo, I tell ya! And thanks for the compliment on the dialogue; it's one of the places I believe are most important to me!

Thanks again Billy; your reviews are greatly appreciated as well!

And that's that. Now, Le O.C. Credits.

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

_**Agent 574: **_by **Sacrom574**

_**Nikolai:**_ by **Nikolai247**

* * *

That's done too! Pretty short huh? Well, the other O.C.'s didn't really make an appearance here, so this Chapter is just an exception to that.

With all that said and done, thank you all for waiting! As you can see, these Chapters are now coming back at a weekly basis, so I'm glad to be back on track! This vacation is really clearing things out!

By the way guys, check out DodgeStreaker's contest on her DeviantArt page. It's really a lot of fun, plus I'm sure the most of you who enjoy writing or drawing would be interested in checking that out. She may need more competitors, so that would be a really great favor you guys could do. The contest ends at April 15th and spots are limited, so join now if you're really interested!

Well, that's pretty much it! I'm done here, and I'm not willing to make the word-count longer because of some long-ass Author's Note. So, I'll be working on Chapter 17 tomorrow, and I wish you all farewell!

I hope you enjoy this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

~Spirit9871


	17. The Proposition

Chapter 17: The Proposition

* * *

Aaron stared at Hank; horrified from the amount of torment the teenager had went through. Aidan had finally stopped kicking when he realized he had done his job and the trainee was out of commission.

Aidan grinned. "Stupid fuck. Time for my prize."

Crouching, Aidan searched both of Hank's pockets for the Accelerants. Once his hand had a firm grip on the bottle, he pulled it out and flipped it in his hands.

"Mission accomplished boys. We got what we wanted." Aidan confirmed.

"…But what're we going to do with _**him**_?" one of Aidan's comrades questioned, nodding towards Aaron.

Aidan stared at the trainee expressionlessly. His expression was soon replaced with a nasty smirk.

Aidan pointed the bottle at Aaron. "I say we trash him like his friend over there. Let's teach him a lesson for fucking with us."

The majority of his friends happy with that answer; they held him down, ready to take turns beating the crap out of the poor lad.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, a knife whizzed through the air, scraping Aidan's left arm before pinning it to the wall. The trained fighter dropped the bottle of Accelerants in his hand from shock.

"The Hell!? Who just did that!?"

_**"Really, Aidan. I let you practice with my squad and you repay me by beating the shit out of them?"**_

Aidan frowned. "Of all the people who had to come in here, it just had to be you, huh, 574?"

"Well, I do like to make unexpected appearances here and there." 574 added humorously. He was dressed in a tight-fitting combat vest over a T-shirt, combat pants, and boots. Now, he turned to examine Hank and Aaron.

Seeing where 574 had shifted his view to, Aidan quickly fabricated an excuse. "These two had it coming to them: they decided to get smart and pushed us into a fight. We had to fight for self-defense."

574 glanced at Hank's unconscious body and Aaron, who was staring at him wide-eyed and shaking his head rapidly in disagreement.

The agent crossed his arms and looked at Aidan. "Somehow, I find that really hard to believe."

Before Aidan would respond, 574 pointed at the discarded bottle.

"What's that?"

Aidan looked at where 574 was referring to. He picked up the bottle.

"That's mine. I bought these at the Stat Boosting Station early this morning."

"Liar!" Aaron suddenly yelled out; freeing his mouth momentarily, "Those were Hank's! You stole them from him!"

Aaron was muffled once more by the young men.

"So what if they were his? He bet these on the table to fight me, and I won fair-and-square. So now they're mine." Aidan spat.

Now, 574 was frowning. "I'm not that stupid Aidan. I've only known Hank for several days, but I know he wouldn't randomly bargain something like that for the sake of violence. Either you're lying, or Hank had a good reason to make that bet. Give those back to him, and leave both of them alone. Otherwise, _I'll _have to take it – _by force._"

Aidan shook his head. "They're mine, and nobody's going to say otherwise."

"Your call." 574 replied. Without warning, he kicked the bottle in Aidan's hand into the air, ramming the inferior agent aside as he caught it in his grasp.

"Give them back, you Russian maggot!" Aidan hollered, practically pouncing at 574.

Hank's trained spun around, foot flying in a tornado kick aimed at Aidan's head. Before the target could shift himself backwards the man's heel smacked hard into his cheek.

Aidan hit the wall beside him, slumping on the wall.

_**"GET THAT FUCKER!"**_ He shouted.

574 heard the pounding of footsteps behind him. Turning around, he watched the remaining group of five agents disperse into two groups. He grinned, bringing his hands up to his face in a fighting stance.

"Come at me."

The first agent charged in, sending a quick jab towards 574's jaw. 574 ducked, uppercutting his attacker and ending his short defense with a push-kick.

The second went behind him and sent a side-kick at his back. 574 stepped to the side easily and pressed his hand to a pressure point on his adversary's neck. The man crumpled almost instantly.

The third did the same spinning kick 574 had employed to take down Aidan. Unfortunately for him, 574 negated the attack with his arm and replied with a particularly forceful roundhouse kick. His 'enemy' gasped for air as he felt his ribs vibrate from the force.

Before the fourth man could have a go at him, 574 turned smoothly and backslapped him across the face. The blow sent him to the ground and left a nasty bruise on the man's face.

574 looked around him, counting the bodies on the floor. Both Aidan and Aaron stared at the master in awe. It all had happened so fast, that it was practically impossible to believe.

Suddenly, 574's head snapped upwards in alert.

_He had missed one man._

Instead of having more time to think, the final assaulter ran in, a blunt pipe gripped tightly in his hands. He swung it at 574, but the blow was once again negated by 574's hand, which had come up behind his head to take hold of the moving pipe.

The agent turned to look at his attacker, who had frozen in horror.

"_**You just can't touch this."**_

574 sent his elbow right at the terrified fighter's ribcage, making him fall back in pain. Before he could recover, the seemingly-unbeatable soldier followed through with a fist to his target's face.

"Terminated." Watching the final body fall, 574 slipped the knife he had thrown earlier into the wall out of its crevice and turned to Aidan, flipping it so he was holding the thing by the blade. Aidan's eyes widened as he saw the arm rise; Aaron looked away.

The knife went airborne and Aidan closed his eyes, awaiting Death…

… and the sound of metal on metal reached his ears.

Opening one eye carefully, Aidan turned his head slightly to realize that his would-be killer had only pinned his left arm to the wall. A brief moment of relief was quickly replaced with rage

"You bastard. You had no right to walk in my business like that!" Aidan yelled.

"They were part of my squad," 574 retorted. "That makes it my business." He turned to Aaron. "We're going to drop off Hank at the Infirmary. You'll be telling me what happened along the way."

Nodding, Aaron pushed himself slowly up and followed his teacher out the door. Aidan gritted his teeth: first he had been hopelessly humiliated, and now receiving the Silent Treatment.

Aidan yanked the knife out of the wall violently. _**"You're going to pay for this 574! I swear to God you will!"**_

Still silent, 574 lead his two trainees out the entrance. He shook his head.

Judging from what he was hearing, Aidan was going to cause _**a lot**_ of unnecessary commotion in the Agency…

* * *

With a start, Hank shot up on what seemed like a white bed. Immediately, Hank's eyes analyzed the environment around him. The walls were all white, six beds were lying around the room; three on each side, and a man in a white lab-coat and a doctor's hat sat in front of him near a very large row of medicine cabinets.

Hank groaned as he felt his vision slowly return to him. "Where am I…?"

"You're in the Infirmary." A voice at his side replied.

Hank jumped at the sound. He turned view 574, sitting with Aaron on wooden chairs across the room. Hank must've missed their presence due to his weakened state.

"The Infirmary? Does that mean…?"

"Yep. Aidan kicked your ass. But don't you worry, I returned the favor." 574 calmly answered.

Hank stared at the agent for a few seconds, and turned to the ceiling in depression. Great, 574 had saved his ass a second time.

Suddenly, Hank gasped and cringed as pain shot through him. 574 sighed.

"You've sure gotten yourself into one hell of a mess. It's only a bunch of broken ribs, nothing we can't handle."

Hank blinked in surprise. Just a bunch of broken ribs? Well one thing's for sure, they sure knew how to hurt.

Before anybody could say anything, the Medic who was working on some kind of strange medicine walked up to Hank with a big cup of uninviting glop. Hank had even gagged at the horrid smell it was making.

"What the hell is that, shit in a bucket!?" Hank hollered, turning his face away from the horrid stench.

The medic handed him the warm cup. "Believe me; I don't like it either. But it will make you feel better and get you back up on your feet faster; that I promise."

Frowning, Hank stared at the liquid. It was a sloppy green that almost looked like slime.

But before he could even make the rim of the cup touch his lips, he heard 574 chuckle.

"Hank, I'm warning you; that's some strong shit right there. And it ain't gonna feel pleasant."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Like you had to tell me that?"

574 smiled slightly. "Don't say I didn't warn you…"

Sucking up his fears, Hank drank the whole cup in one shot. At first, he felt the disgusting substance slowly sink down his throat, and then… _nothing_.

Two seconds later, that _nothing_ was replaced with pure pain.

Hank felt his ribcage tighten without warning, almost as if the bones were digging into his lungs. He gasped for air and groaned loudly.

"GAH! Shit! It hurts! The hell is this stuff!?"

574 laughed. "Calcium Regenerator. Your chest feels like it's going to explode because the bones of your ribcage are putting themselves back into place."

"Back into place!? Why didn't you warn me this _**BEFORE!?**_"

"Relax, Hank. If I had told you, you wouldn't have drank it in the first place, da? And I can't afford to waste any more time." 574 reasoned.

The pain dissipated quickly, and Hank lay back on his bed. He sighed in relief, but his midsection still burned.

"So how long will I be back into training?" Hank asked.

574 glanced at the wristwatch on his hand. "Half an hour, tops."

Hank's face twisted into a confused expression. He was hoping that his injuries would at least give him some time to relax, but half an hour was definitely not enough.

"Half an hour? Didn't you say I just suffered from a bunch of broken ribs?" Hank questioned.

"That's true," 574 agreed, "I did. But you underestimate the advanced technology we have here Hank. So whether you like it or not, you're getting your ass back to the Training Room as soon as you're all better."

Hank groaned to himself silently. Great… just fucking great.

Before he could say anything else, 574 stood up and pulled out a small container from his vest, which Hank immediately recognized as his Accelerants.

"Here, catch."

Hank caught the bottle in mid-air as it flew at him. He stared at 574.

"These are my-"

"Yes, your Accelerants. This explains why you were so much faster during Extra Credits session rather than in the morning. A word of advice though, don't gamble something so valuable to get into a fight. Aidan was ready to rip me apart just for those goddamn pills." 574 advised. After a pause, he added. "Well, ready to try."

Nodding, Hank put the bottle back in his left pocket. "So you're not mad?"

"Well, normally I would take those from you, but I think you can handle yourself. Though I'm not really sure what Selig was thinking giving you that all willy-nilly. Just take care of yourself so I don't have to regret anything else. I've got a lot of things other than training to worry about." 574 said.

Once again Hank replied with a nod, grateful that 574 was not angry over his little secret of sorts.

574 the turned to Aaron. "And you, Mr. Walker… you and me are gonna have a talk."

Aaron said nothing.

Suddenly, the entrance of the Infirmary whooshed open and slammed shut. A bald man, whom Hank never seen before, entered. He was wearing a black trench-coat, black pants, and black combat boots, but with a large build and an angry face attached with a long black mustache that seemed to add onto his ferocity.

Then, he turned to 574.

"DO YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS? HUH!?" He roared.

574 sighed. "Grayson, you keep that up and the rest of us will go deaf."

"Do you think I'm fucking playing with you right now? I find my students battered and bruised thanks to the likes of you, and The Higher Powers won't do shit! I'm not going to let this get passed off like some kind of joke!" Grayson continued in a lowered tone, though his anger had not abated.

574 stood up. "Grayson, you know damn well that I had to do what I had to do. Your students were torturing mine, and refused to comply with my orders. That's a double violation right there. Just be happy that The Higher Powers shrugged this off when we brought this whole thing to them."

"Don't act all smart and smug like you know everything. No trainer in the Agency has the right to physically abuse a trainee, not to mention someone else's. Isn't that right, _**Mikhail?**_"

574's stance shifted noticeably as he crossed his hands behind his back.

"Agent Grayson," 574 began, his tone cold, "There is only one person in this facility who I allow to call me that, and it is sure as fuck not you. I don't care that we're equal in rank and status, you will refer to me as Agent, 574, or Agent 574, _understand?_"

Hank looked at 574's face – despite the cold tone of voice, his facial expression had not changed whatsoever. Nothing had changed... except for the fact that his hands, crossed behind his back, appeared to be much tighter than usual.

Hank was a bit confused. Why did 574 specifically not want to be called that? Shane had done it at least once before… why was the agent so serious about that?

Grayson narrowed his eyes. "Don't push your luck, _Mikhail_. You know damn well that I have the upper hand when it comes to physical attributes."

574 blew a bit more air out of his nose than usual. "Now all you need is just some hair…"

Grayson's face turned visibly red as he exhaled deeply. Both Hank and Aaron felt the atmosphere tighten.

"Gentlemen, please! Do not make such a mess of things, especially in the Infirmary! We should be fighting the enemy, not each other!" The medic suddenly chimed in. Hank looked at him in surprise – he had almost forgotten the man was even here.

The two men looked at the worker, then back at each other. The medic was right; two agents fighting against each other unauthorized could result in expulsion; not to mention two highly-ranked and experienced trainers.

Grayson lowered his head to glare at 574 from a much more menacing angle.

"One month. That's all I'm giving your pupils to train until I call upon your squad to fight mine's in the Holographic Chamber."

574 shook his head. "And why the fuck should I accept your… offer? There's nothing in store for either of us. Personally, I think it's a waste of time."

Grayson grinned. "Fine. Be that way. Here's what I want: if I win, then you must give each of my students 1,000 Credits, AND allow them to train with yours whenever they please."

574 sighed, obviously not happy with the bargain. It was clearly unfair to make a bet on something he was right on, but if it would shut Grayson up, then by all means he'll follow those terms.

"And if you don't? What do I expect to receive in return?" 574 questioned.

"Well, if by a miracle your pathetic squad manages to win, then I'll make sure Aidan and his friends leave you all alone for the rest of your disgraceful career. But I doubt that will ever happen." Grayson added, with that same nasty smile.

574 held up a hand. "Each of my lads get 1,000 Credits each as well, from you, if we win."

Grayson thought for a moment. "Fine."

574 nodded. "Very well. One month it is."

Grayson took a step back from 574; content with his progress. He then turned to Hank.

"Ah. So this must be the twerp that Aidan had managed to rip apart."

"If you're referring to this lad, Hank J. Wimbleton, then yes. This is the individual your student had managed to… vandalize." 574's tone sounded like a growl at the last word.

Grayson narrowed his eyes and stared at Hank for a few seconds. Hank returned back the stare, though the intense glare of the larger man made him quite nervous.

Grayson laughed as he shifted back.

"**He won't last a year**. No wonder why they gave you this runt, Mikhail. Suits your level of teaching well."

Hank gulped, angry to quite an extent. But he knew he had to restrain himself.

574 chuckled. "You'd be surprised just what this kid can do with the right amount of training."

Grayson's amused facial expression was now replaced with a frown. "Keep telling yourself that. You have one month. Good luck with this mess."

And with that, Grayson left the room. Silence reigned.

574 slipped his hands in his pockets. "Well, we seem to have stuck some deep shit."

Aaron looked up. "What are you going to do?"

574 stared at the floor for a few seconds, and then looked up.

"Train all of you, what else?"

Aaron didn't like that answer. "But you know what they'll do to us! Their whole goddamn squad is stronger than us! How are you going to manage this?"

574 shrugged. "I'll make it up as I go along. We'll be fine, relax."

He then turned to Hank. "Change of plans, Hank. We're going to have to get you up and out of this bed here and now. Every second counts!

Hank moaned; slowly pushing himself off his bed. "What about resting?"

"You'll have enough time to recuperate when you sleep tonight in bed, Hank. Now up and at it!" 574 repeated his point clearly.

Saying nothing, Hank stood up. The medic hurried towards them.

"You can't be serious! His ribs are still regenerating! They could be deformed if he moves too much!"

Hank shuddered. He didn't want to explore that idea.

574 raised a hand. "Don't worry. As long as he's with me, there's nothing to worry about."

"Still…"

"Trust me. I'll take him off your hands. After all; it's not like I have much of a choice, do I?"

The Medic frowned, turning away from 574. "Fine. He's your agent. If anything happens to him, it's your fault, not mine. Don't come crying back to me if something goes wrong."

574 nodded. "He'll be fine."

With that, Hank exited the room with 574 and Aaron. Every step Hank took, he felt as if he would almost stumble, thanks to his weakened body.

Aaron put one of Hank's arms around his shoulder. "Let me help you."

Hank sighed; not wanting to be in this state in the first place. "Thanks…"

* * *

After some time, the three of them made it to the Training Room. Hank's squad was already sitting there, waiting for their next round with the BOTs.

The minute Hank had entered their field of views, the majority of the squad's eyes widened. Hina's caring nature kicked in almost immediately, as she was the first to run up to Hank.

"Hank! Are you okay? What happened?!"

"Aidan's what happened. He and his assholes decided to fuck us over." Aaron broke in for Hank.

Hina turned to Aaron, then back to Hank for confirmation. Hank nodded.

DJ chuckled. "Aidan, huh? You sure know how to get yourselves into one hell of a mess."

"It wasn't Hank's fault! He was helping me fight them off!" Aaron protested.

Ryder rolled his eyes. "Now _**that**_ makes more sense. He just had to go and save your wimpy ass from being whooped again."

"Hey! You would've ended up the same way as me if you were in my shoes!" Aaron protested.

"No. I would at least do something about it, rather than be someone's puppet for a whole year." Ryder countered.

Aaron frowned; almost dropping Hank. "Well-!"

"Walkers."

Aaron and Ryder turned to 574.

"Ain't nobody got time for arguing. As for the rest of you, get ready to go to the Holographic Chamber. We're fighting the Black Snake Squadron in one month." The agent-teacher announced.

The rest of the group, excluding Aaron and Hank, gasped. Eli just clenched his fists.

Ryder glared at his brother. "What!? Are you kidding me!? They'll rip us apart! Even their weakest squad member is stronger than Eli! Why the Hell did you get us into this mess!"

Aaron looked down sorrowfully. "I'm sorry dude. I didn't mean for this to happen…"

Ryder sighed angrily, turning around rapidly away from Aaron. "For fuck's sake…"

All was silent, giving 574 the notion to talk. He looked at everyone.

"All right, people, on my six. I wasn't expecting to start this type of training until two months from now, but we have no choice."

* * *

Following 574, they all crowded into a nearby elevator to the fifth level. Once they made it, 574 made a few twists and turns from there to the Chamber.

To their surprise, they found Shane working on the side of what seemed to be a capsule.

"Ahem." 574 said as a form of greeting.

Shane looked up at the sound; his eyes widened as he saw Hank and the rest of the group file into the room.

"Mikhail? Why are you and your squad here? I wasn't planning on you dropping by at the Holographic Chamber for another few months!" Shane exclaimed.

574 shook his head. "Change of plans. Grayson's squad fucked over Hank and Aaron, I had to make it even, Grayson himself went ape-shit and challenged me to a battle in the Holo-Chamber in a month's time. We need all the time we can get, Shane."

Shane sighed. "It's definitely not right to rush things like this, but if what you're saying is true, then you're definitely going to need it. Last time I saw Black Snake go in here with the Hydra Squadron, they crushed them - literally. So good luck with whatever you've got to deal with right now."

574 nodded. He then turned Hank and the rest of the squad.

"Alright, lads, each and every one of you go get a chamber. Sit down, grab a helmet."

Without a word, the team stepped forward to take their positions inside the capsules. Hank sat down in his and looked around. He was sitting on a very comfy chair made of black leather that he could stretch his back on, inside of the gray cylindrical tube. Near him was a piece of headgear that looked a lot like a sci-fi Tesla helmet – presumably the one 574 had told them about moments earlier.

Without warning, the door leading outside shut, trapping Hank inside of the tube.

The intercom inside the tube kicked in, 574's voice audible loud and clear. "Relax, people, it's only protocol. Now, put the helmets on!"

Hank finally placed the Tesla-helmet onto his head. He lay back on the chair and relaxed.

"Good. Now then, the Holographic Chamber works as so: the helmets you are wearing will transport you to a designated digital world. The helmet carries all the commands your brains send through nerve impulses and sends them to this world so you carry out said actions. There's more to come – sit back, relax, grab a snack – no, don't do that – and watch." 574 continued.

Hank had already done was he was told so he sat still, waiting for 574 to say something else. Instead, he was only met with dead silence.

A few seconds passed, and Hank began to wonder if there was a malfunction of some sort. His worries were alleviated almost immediately, however, when a deep hum reached his ears.

Hank looked around him. The Holo-Chamber had activated on Shane's command, and was vibrating rapidly. The view inside his helmet gave him the notion that reality was stretching around him like rubber, and suddenly he was falling through a digital black hole.

Hank's eyes widened as he saw the colors warp around him. His consciousness was no longer in the tube, but in a different dimension. Awestruck, Hank found himself gaping at what the hell was going on.

Then, there was a _thud_… and nothing but blackness.

The odd black void stayed for a few seconds, until Hank realized that light began fading in, as if he was slowly awakening from a coma. In seconds, Hank found himself looking around a totally different environment with a sunset sky and two towers facing each other. Hank, 574, and the rest of the squad were on the bottom of the tower to the right.

574 looked around him. "You chose _Triple Towers,_ Shane?"

_"Yes. It seemed fairly simple and appropriate for your level."_ Shane's disembodied voice was just as loud and clear as 574's.

"Well, it's a nice view, I suppose." 574 admitted, and turned to face the team.

"Welcome to the Holographic Chamber! This is one of the many maps that we've engineered for the Agency's trainees to gain some combat experience! First off, you might want to get familiar with what you're dealing with – starting with what you're wearing.

Hank looked down at himself to find he was no longer wearing his old, casual clothes, but instead a strange looking blue suit and a blue helmet with a yellow visor that looked a lot like something from _Halo._

Hank glanced at the rest of his comrades. They were all also wearing the same type of clothing.

"Right. So you may be all wondering, 'Hey! Why am I wearing this junk?' Well, it's simple – this is virtual laser tag, and the armor will detect shots as you take them. Speaking of which, I see the guns have already loaded. Look down." 574 instructed.

Hank complied. There were four weapons lying on a floor; a strange, long metal stick, two guns he had never seen before - one being a blue rifle and the other a mini-shotgun of the same coloration, as well as a fourth, smaller object with a red cross on it.

"Those are the weapons you start your matches with. The stick is a laser sword type of thingy, kinda like the lightsabers from Star Wars. Try it, there's a button on the side to activate it." 574 continued.

Picking up the weapon, Hank pressed the button on the side and flinched slightly as a meter-long laser popped out of the hilt, which was about a foot long in comparison.

"Sweet…" Aaron mumbled to himself.

574 picked up the sword, powered it on and swung it around a bit as a demonstration. Then, he deactivated it and picked up the rifle.

"This is the **C-01r assault rifle**. Fast and capable, thirty rounds in one mag. Kinda looks like an M4."

574 turned to the horizon and squeezed out several bursts, 3-inch laser beams emanating from his rifle with every shot.

When he was empty, 574 pulled out the clip, slipped it into a pouch on what seemed like a utility belt, pulled out the second clip from the other side and slapped it into the gun. Pulling back the safety, he repeated the demonstration. This time, however, instead of getting a fresh mag he broke out the one he had emptied just seconds previously.

Once the second clip was done, 574 stopped. "When you need to reload, just switch clips; don't worry about ammo, it restocks itself over the course of five seconds. But please, do not spam. It's noobish, unfair, and doesn't really benefit you in real combat missions. You might just find yourself out of ammo and getting shot at from five directions."

Then, 574 picked up the mini-shotgun. "This is the **C-01s**. Slower, yet packed with immense power; use it the way it's supposed to be used and you'll be blasting your enemies into oblivion. Six rounds before you have to reload.

574 turned to the horizon once more and emptied the clip into the air. Instead of emitting narrow laser beams like the C-01r, the C-01s emitted a conical kind of blast.

Finally, 574 picked up the strange, small object with the red cross Hank saw earlier.

"And this, people, is a Defibrillator. You can use it when one of your teammates gets 'killed' in combat. So for example, say if Aaron here had been killed-"

There was a loud buzzing sound, and Aaron looked down to see a sword popping through his stomach. He glared at the person behind him, DJ.

"Asshole…" Aaron muttered.

DJ only grinned. Strangely enough though, instead of gushing out blood, Aaron just stood there as if nothing had happened.

574 sighed. "Right. Forgot to mention this, you can't kill your own teammates with your own weapons. Doesn't work that way."

"HA!" Aaron laughed at DJ. "You can't do shit bro!"

DJ shook his head as he pulled back his sword. "Watch. I'll get you before we're out of here."

"As if." Aaron said, rolling his eyes.

Hina raised her hand.

574 pointed at her. "Yes?"

"Wouldn't it hurt if we got shot by any of these?" Hina questioned.

574 nodded. "Good question. No. If the enemy shoots you at a certain spot, you go numb at that place, or simply go numb altogether as if you died. You wouldn't feel pain even if someone shot your dick here since your real body is in the outside world, unconscious."

Hank suddenly understood. This was a lot like The Matrix, except without actual deaths.

574 went back to the original topic. "Right, back to what I was saying; if Aaron had been killed and his body is still fully intact and at reach, you can heal him. In fact, if your body goes numb somewhere, thanks to getting shot, you can use the Defibrillator to heal yourself and make that part movable again. But it takes a while, so make sure you're in a safe and secure place while you're doing it."

574 then pressed a green switch that was stuck on the wall next to him. "You all might want to take a step back. The elevators can crush you too, ya know."

Doing so, the elevator finally came down to the combatants.

"Get on."

Everyone went onto the platform. 574 whacked the button, they all began accelerating upwards and finally to the roof. The squad could even see the tower opposite to them clearly from this point.

574 pointed to the sky. "You see that big red screen up there?"

Everyone looked to where he was pointing. Sure enough, a very large red screen was hovering above them.

"Stats go there, news on what's going on in the battle, who killed who, which teams are fighting, et cetera."

Lines of text began to appear on the screen.

* * *

_[UNOFFICIAL BATTLE_ _: UNDETERMINED V. -]_

_ [PROCTOR: AGENT 574 AND -]_

_ [ENGINEER(S): SHANE]_

* * *

And that was it.

574 immediately sensed confusion in the group. "If you're all wondering, we are 'UNDETERMINED' since we technically don't have a group name. Those dashed lines are just there because we're obviously not fighting any other teams. I am the leader of your squad, and the leader of the other will be put where the dashed lines are. And Shane is the one controlling the match on the outside, so he's the engineer. He has the power to stop us in the middle of a game in case if something happens or do anything he pleases with the proctors' commands."

_"Yep, just like God."_ Shane suddenly joined in.

574 smirked at the joke, but only slightly. "Right. Now then, as I told Hina before; you don't feel pain in this place. Absolutely nothing, regardless of what damage you take. And that includes falling off cliffs."

Aaron looked down. They looked almost miles up in the sky, but his cockiness began kicking in (though he's somewhat afraid of heights).

"H-ha! Bitch, please, this isn't _that_ high!" Aaron bluffed.

DJ turned to 574. "So if anyone falls off here, they don't actually die, right? Just like a virtual game?"

"You got it." 574 confirmed.

"Okay." DJ simply said.

Then, he pushed Aaron off the roof.

"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Aaron screamed as he fell to his virtual death.

DJ nodded. "Satisfactory."

574 pressed a hand to his face. "Oh for fuck's sake… Shane, teleport Aaron back up here, _alive._"

_"Roger that."_

A sudden flash blinded them momentarily, but when they recovered Aaron was standing before them, safe and sound.

DJ grinned again. "Told ya I'd get you."

Aaron flared his teeth. "Why you little-!"

574 held Aaron back by his face as he tried to launch himself at DJ. The whole group (except Aaron) just found it humorous, even Ryder.

"Aaron, calm down. You have to admit though, it was pretty funny." 574 said.

"WELL, FOR YOU IT WAS! I JUST FELL MILES DOWN INTO VIRTUAL HELL!" Aaron said indignantly.

574 smiled slightly. "Alright, we got it. But please, DJ, refrain from killing your teammates again?"

"Sure." DJ replied.

This seemed to settle Aaron down as he stopped trying to go and tear his partner to shreds. Still, he crossed his arms and turned away.

"Well, DJ kinda summed up what I was gonna say. You're all also prone to falls as well. So try not to hit the concrete at thirty miles per hour if you want to stay alive." 574 advised.

Once he had decided the information had sunk into the squad's brains, 574 clapped his hands.

**"Great! We've got ourselves all settled! Now then, get your asses ready, because we're gonna have a three-on-three practice match!"**

* * *

A/N: And thus, we reach the conclusion of Chapter 17. Originally, this was meant to be uploaded last Sunday, but due to some delays regarding social life, I was unable to do so. Why is because Kagami's birthday was last Saturday, so I was hoping to do this as a B-day present for him. So this sorta counts like a late birthday present for you buddy! ^^;

Anyways, if any of you are wondering why I was being so detailed with the Holographic Chamber, I have to admit that it was an idea based primarily off a game called Plazma Burst 2. There's an actual map called "Battlefield: 3 Towers" there with the same weapons I described here (minus the laser sword). Although I did make some changes and edits of my own, nonetheless, the idea wasn't completely original, but it seemed exciting to implement.

And now to something you've all been waiting for; Reviewers' Credits!

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

**DodgeStreaker:** Hey, no worries. It's fine. I'm just glad to still see you reviewing this story after a long way. Thanks. :)

* * *

**SirPolarBear:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter as well! Also, another thanks for appreciating my ideas! I'm really proud of the Stat Boosting idea, as well as the introduction of Aidan!

Thanks for the review Billy! Appreciate it!

* * *

**HankJWimbleton:** Haha, well hey, I wasn't lying when I said those places hurt! I did my homework; I assure you!

Thanks again for the review Hank! :D

* * *

**Cowbow50:** Hey man! Great to see you again! And yes; the Stat Boosting Station was based off of the Madness: Project Nexus upgrading screen! Glad to see you caught on to that, and thanks for the review!

* * *

**The Dark Madness Dragon:** Oh don't worry bro; save the sympathy for later. Because I assure you, things are just going to get more dramatic for the whole squad! And yes; I hope you're satisfied with "Ass-Kicking Session" with 574. It does definitely solve the problem, but now it's just making things somewhat worse for the squad.

Thanks for the review dude. :)

* * *

**Kagami:** Kagami! It's great to see you again too, and I'm glad you're still hooked on this story! Alright then; let's get to each of your reviews:

Ch. 14: Thanks bro! The majority of them were submitted OC's so I made them look as awesome as possible. As of Aaron…well, give him time. He'll learn how to shine too eventually.

Ch. 15: Wow, seriously!? That's pretty cool to hear! And I'm glad you found it interesting; personally, I think that was my worst chapter so far since it was so bland. But nonetheless, with that set aside, thanks again for the positive comments!

Ch. 16: Thanks again! I really thought the pills were a good idea since they somehow explain why Anti-A.A.H.W. members are so strong so fast over A.A.H.W. agents. And yes; the new Marvin of the Agency is Aidan. But the question is; what shit will go down after this dilemma?

Happy birthday (sorry for this being WAYYY too late!), and I hope you enjoyed this chapter to buddy! :)

* * *

And that's done. Now, on to O.C. Credits:

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

**Agent 574/Mikhail **by **Sacrom574**

**Shane **by **DodgeStreaker**

**Eli **by **Kagami**

**Hina** by **Kagami**

**DJ Anderson **by **The Dark Madness Dragon**

* * *

…Did I miss anyone? I don't think so. So anyways, yeah! That pretty much sums up this chapter. Updates may be late (as usual lately) since school is nearing the final examinations. As of now, I'm being slamfucked by tests, so it may take a while for me to stop and think for Chapter 18. Otherwise, I don't want to repeat the disaster like Chapter 15. Too many regrets after uploading it…

Anyways, again, thank you all for reading! Loyal fans and reviews are a writer's blood, so all of you are really motivating me to keep on going! Thank you all so much, and stay tuned! The story is just beginning!

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter of Hank's Legacy, and goodnight from New York!

~Spirit9871


	18. Shattering Apart

Chapter 18: Shattering Apart

* * *

The division of the squad into teams was fairly simple. Hank's group was split into threes - a trio on one tower of the map and the another on the second.

Hank looked around. Sure enough, Shane had successfully managed to transport him and two others to the red team's tower.

When Hank's vision cleared up again, he looked down at himself. He was wearing the same armor, except the color scheme had been changed from the blue he'd seen during the demonstration to a more sinister red. Once that was done, he looked up to examine his teammates.

Aaron Walker and Eli.

Hank looked around. 574 was nowhere to be found, along with the rest of the squad.

"The Hell? Where'd you go, 574?" Aaron yelled out in confusion.

574's voice carried to them in a loudspeaker effect.

_"No worries, Walker. I still see you guys."_

"Wait… where are you, exactly?" Aaron questioned once more.

_"Nowhere on the map, if that's what you're asking. I'm just sitting right here, next to Shane, watching you lads beat the shit out of each other. I even brought popcorn."_ 574 replied.

Grinning slightly at the answer, Aaron turned to his teammates.

"Alright! I'm with Eli and Hank! Let's kick some ass!"

Eli turned away, seemingly scanning the rest of the area around him while Hank scratched the back of his head.

"Uh…sure. Why not?" Hank responded uncomfortably.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "…A bunch of mood-killers, you guys are…"

The loudspeaker went on once more. This time, it was Shane to speak.

_"Okay guys, we're starting in a minute. I'm activating your weapons now, lock and load when they appear."_

Silence reigned. This gave Shane the notion to continue.

_"Alright, you guys better get ready, because the match is starting __**NOW.**__"_

The laser weaponry appeared at each of their feet. Hank quickly picked everything up and equipped himself.

They all heard a loud buzz, and the weapons began to glow. Almost immediately, Hank heard gunfire from the other side. Sure enough, projectiles were already on their way through the breach in the base.

Hank jumped up to grab onto a ledge above him, while Eli fell on his back and retaliated with a volley from his assault rifle. Aaron simply panicked from the ambush and ran up the stairs behind him.

The sound of a blazing firefight loud and clear in his ears, Hank continued to climb up until he finally reached the end of the stairs. On his left, he saw a nearby elevator that looked perfect to use.

Hank rammed the button like he'd seen 574 do some time before, and within seconds he was zooming upwards. He was soon granted the company of Aaron, who had been waiting for the elevator on a higher flight.

"Mind if I join?" Aaron asked casually as the doors slid open.

Hank shrugged. "Well, you're on now, so by all means go ahead."

A few seconds later, the two of them found themselves at the top of the tower where they could clearly see the large red screen and what was written on it.

They began to read:

* * *

_[UNOFFICIAL BATTLE: RED TEAM V. BLUE TEAM]_

_[PROCTOR: AGENT 574 AND -]_

_[ENGINEER(S): SHANE]_

_[PLAYERS ON RED: HANK, AARON, ELI]_

_[PLAYERS ON BLUE: RYDER, DJ, HINA]_

_[MATCH INITIATED]_

_[AGENT ELI ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (ASSAULT RIFLE C01-R)]_

* * *

Suddenly, the screen fizzed, and a new line appeared:

* * *

_[AGENT DJ ELIMINATED AGENT ELI (SHOTGUN CO1-S)]_

* * *

Aaron grimaced. "Shit… our ace in the hole is gone. Maybe we shouldn't have left him behind…?"

Hank turned to Aaron with a look that said: "Are-You-Fucking-Serious?".

"No _shit_?"

Before Aaron could make a counter-statement, laser projectiles whizzed inches from his face. Both he and Hank fell to the ground, their only defensive measure as of now.

Aaron broke out his assault rifle and Hank whipped out his shotgun. In synchronized moment, the two stood up from their cover and returned fire across the thin bridge that acted as a sort of gate between the two towers.

Meanwhile on the other side, Hina and DJ took cover. Aaron had managed to push them back to their own lines, but Hank knew it would only be a matter of time until they found another way to corner the two trainees.

Going on empty, Aaron pulled out his overheated clip and placed it on his belt; slapping his spare into his weapon. Hank followed suite shortly afterwards.

All of a sudden Hina poked her head out of her defensive line. Aaron swung his rifle toward her, looked down the sights, and squeezed off three rounds in quick succession.

Hina fell backwards as her body went numb. Aaron had managed to land a shot on her forehead.

* * *

_[AGENT AARON ELIMINATED AGENT HINA (RIFLE CO1-R)]_ The large red screen above them read almost instantaneously.

* * *

Aaron finally stopped shooting. "Alright! Did ya see that Hank! Two down, one more to-"

Before Aaron could finish his sentence, return fire from one of Hina's comrades his _him_ in the cranium. Aaron himself went numb as he fell off the side of the tower… too far down for Hank to revive him with his Defibrillator.

"GODDAMNIT, NOT AGAAAAAAAAAIN!" Aaron shouted before falling to the bottom of the tower.

Shocked, Hank turned to the big red screen.

* * *

_[AGENT RYDER ELIMINATED AGENT AARON (SHOTGUN C01-S)]_

* * *

Hank's eyes widened. Ryder? But wasn't he…?

Before he could finish his train of thought Hank dropped his shotgun, drawing his sword and activating the blade just in time to counter an attack from Ryder. His and Hank's blades fizzed as they made contact.

Hank frowned. Of course Ryder was back; teammates could revive each other with their Defibrillators.

After a few seconds of tense swordplay, Ryder began pulling the rifle from his back with his free hand. Hank pressed forward a bit; landing hit after hit so as to delay his adversary from drawing his assault rifle. Once that was done, he danced backwards; throwing his sword at Ryder as a diversion before scooping up Aaron's assault rifle and sending several three-round bursts towards him. The force of the shots was enough to push Ryder off the tower and down the 100-foot chasm between the two towers.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (ASSAULT RIFLE CO1-R)]_

* * *

Hank grinned. God, did it feel good to read that. Real good.

Unfortunately for him, as soon as he turned around, he was met with two shotgun barrels to the face. Sure enough, after DJ had managed to bring Hina back, the two of them snuck up behind Hank while he was distracted.

Hank sighed. "Fuck…"

Hina smirked. "May I do the honors?"

DJ nodded. "By all means."

Hina fired. Hank saw the light at the end of the barrel momentarily before he was pushed backward by the force of the blow and sent over the edge of the tower, just like Ryder had seconds before.

Hank felt his body go heavy, as if he was held down by lead. It wouldn't matter anyways: if the shot didn't eliminate him, then the 100-foot drop would.

As soon as he hit the ground, the red screen displayed its final lines of text:

* * *

_[AGENT HINA ELIMINATED AGENT HANK (SHOTGUN CO1-S)]_

_[NO OTHER MEMBERS OF RED TEAM REMAIN]_

_[BLUE TEAM WINS]_

* * *

A few seconds later, Hank saw the dimension around him begin to fade like a mirage. He found himself back inside his pod, just like how he started.

The intercom inside the machine came to life.

_"You can take off your helmets now."_ 574 said.

Complying, Hank pulled off the Tesla-helmet and waited for the door in front of him to open. Once it did so, Hank walked out; the others had already exited their capsules.

Hina and DJ seemed quite happy as to how the match turned out while Aaron was just in a bad mood. Eli and Ryder stood expressionlessly; seemingly careless about the game.

DJ grinned. "We totally whipped your asses."

Aaron frowned and crossed his arms as he turned away. "Beginner's Luck…"

574 intervened before an argument would rise. "Good first game. It was quite entertaining, to say the least. Hank, Eli, Aaron, you do realize why you lost that time, da?"

Eli turned away as Aaron looked down at the ground in embarrassment. Hank said nothing as he stared at his teacher for the obvious answer.

"It was because you three split up. Had you stuck together like the other team did, then you wouldn't have been taken down so easily. This is something that you not only have to know to win matches in the Holographic Chamber, but also for real-life scenarios as well. We've lost many agents before, since they split up in the middle of missions. After all, there is a reason why certain people are paired up to stay alive." 574 reasoned.

Hank shook his head. He supposed 574 was right. But he was just so damn tired.

Then, he heard his stomach grumbling. Hank realized that he literally had eaten _nothing_ but medication from this morning to now.

574 chuckled. "I heard that. That's understandable, I wouldn't have quite the appetite during the day either if I was going through what you are right now. Either way though, dinner's up in the Agency. Let's get you six to the cafeteria."

Shane, who was silent all this time, continued tinkering with some of the controls in front of him. 574 turned to him.

"Shane, you coming with us?"

Shane shook his head. "Sorry Mikhail, gotta work on some last-minute repairs. Don't want the system to be glitchy after all."

574 crossed his arms. "Shane, this is dinner, not a recon mission. Besides, it'll take an hour at most and then you'll be free to do just whatever the fuck you want."

After a few seconds of silence, Shane sighed.

"You sure know how to make things seem appetizing. Well, alright. If you insist."

574 nodded. "That's the spirit. Let's get going, shall we?"

"You go on ahead. I gotta at least get someone to cover for me while I'm gone." Shane insisted.

574 shrugged. "If you must."

Shane hurried off outside the room to look for either Felix or Darius. 574 sighed. Shane always was the busy-body.

Suddenly, DJ spoke up something that the whole squad was thinking about for a long time.

"574, why can Shane call you Mikhail? Why not us?" he questioned.

574 turned slowly to look at DJ, his face expressionless. Many would have quailed under this stare, but DJ managed to keep eye contact. For a few seconds.

_**"**_Shane is the closest thing I have to a friend here in the Anti-A.A.H.W." 574 began, "We go way back. It's personal."

574 headed towards the elevator. His last words before leaving had only confused the squadron even more, raising more questions than answers.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Hank asked out loud.

"Who cares? I'm starving! Let's go get some grub!" Aaron said, his hunger overriding his curiosity.

Hank watched as the others followed their trainer. He stood there for a few minutes, wondering what exactly 574 meant by those words. 574 didn't seem like the type of person to hold secrets.

**_So what exactly was so personal that he had to hide it from everyone else?_**

* * *

Hank moved along a line with four people (all older than him) in front of him. For a secret organization, the Agency sure had some great food.

Getting his dinner and plastic utensils, Hank walked over to where the rest of the group was. The cafeteria was located on the seventh level of the facility, and it was HUGE. The whole area itself took over the whole floor with people scattered practically everywhere. If it wasn't for Hank's good memory, he would've probably been lost in the sea of agents.

Along the way, Hank looked down at what exactly the Agency had decided to serve for its soldiers. Chicken baked to perfection, mashed potatoes, and some brown rice; it was as if he had walked into a Thanksgiving dinner party. But that wasn't the best of all.

There was pie.

_Tasty, tasty pie._

Hank felt his mouth fill with saliva as he stared at his dessert. He had no idea what flavor it was, but who gives a fuck? Blueberry, apple, banana; whatever it was, he was sure to love it. Hell, it could even be poisonberry for all he cared.

Finally returning back, Hank sat down in an open spot between Ryder and DJ while 574 on DJ's right. Shane sat straight opposite from the mentor with Eli, Hina, and Aaron nearby him. Hank heard three different conversations around him as he was eating, but decided to listen to Shane and 574's talk first.

Shane gulped down the food inside his mouth before speaking. "I ran into Grayson while I was looking for Felix and Darius."

"And?" 574 egged on with a half-full mouth.

"He seemed pretty serious than usual. Grayson even yelled at me to start up the Holo-Chamber for his students. I find it kinda ironic to see him worried about training his pupils against you." Shane continued.

574 snorted – rather, he let out a bit more air out of his nose than usual and smiled. "I suppose I don't blame that bald son of a bitch. We put up quite the bargain over this match."

Shane's face twisted into confusion. "How much are we talking about here?"

"Loser has to pay 1,000 Credits to each of the winner's trainees."

Quickly doing the math, Shane's eyes widened.

"6,000 CREDITS!? Mikhail, I know damn well that you can't afford _that_ much! Why the Hell would you put up with a bet like that!?" Shane said loud enough for 574 to hear him over the bustling of agents nearby them.

574 grinned. "Trust me. I know my students very well. This group in particular is _special_ in a way that not even Grayson can realize. They have the potential to unlock incredible things, but they just need someone to give them a little push. And that's me."

Shane rolled his eyes. "God… I'm never going to understand you Mikhail…not in a million years."

Although 574 eventually lightened up the mood by cracking a couple of jokes, Hank felt himself grow stiff. Did 574 really trust them that much? Enough to put his whole reputation on the line?

DJ turned to Hank and widened his eyes. "Holy shit, you eat fast! Were you going on a diet before or something?"

Hank looked down at his plate. Sure enough, he had eaten everything without even realizing it. However, he had saved the best for last.

**The pie.**

Hank made a small laugh. "I suppose so."

Then, DJ pointed at Hank's dessert. "So…are you going to eat that then?"

Hank stared wide-eyed as he saw DJ's eyes aim for his pie. He quickly pulled his tray away before DJ could close in on it.

**"NO! IT'S MINE!"** Hank yelled.

The group went into silence. This was probably the most out of character they've seen Hank. Realizing what just happened himself, Hank blushed a crimson red in embarrassment. He hoped that something would happen soon so it would at least get him out of this awkward position.

Hank then felt a finger slowly poke his left cheek. Slowly, he turned around only to see Aaron looking at him with questioning eyes.

"Heyyy…Hank?" Aaron started; a bit nervous after his teammates shouting.

"W-what do you want…?" Hank stuttered, trying to regain himself.

Aaron finally moved away from his comrade. "Tell Ryder over here that I didn't suck in the Holographic Chamber! That he just got lucky!"

Hank felt his teammates' eyes still all on him. He sweat-dropped from all the attention he was receiving, but hell, it was better than that embarrassing moment he had caused before.

"Uhhh…" Was all that would escape his mouth.

Ryder sat up straight and pressed a finger on his little brother's forehead.

"See. Even Hank knows that you fucked up." Ryder pressed on.

Aaron slapped away Ryder's teasing hand. "Yeah, right! He didn't even say anything you moron! Just what are you trying to prove anyways!?"

"That you have no bragging rights, you dumbass. Every goddamn day I gotta hear or see you showing off. It's annoying. You're the runt of the litter; get over it." Ryder harshly pulled out.

Aaron made a glare straight at Ryder's eyes. "You just wait! Someday, I'll be way stronger than whatever you could be!"

A spark of electricity could almost be felt between both brothers' faces. Whatever happened to "Brotherly Love"?

Hina made a nervous grin and came between the two them. "Hey…calm down you two. You're making a scene…"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" The Walker brothers both yelled at Hina.

Eli watched this from the sidelines and suddenly had the urge to intervene. **"Hey! Don't either of you talk to her like that!"**

The whole squad went silent again. This outburst was also quite surprising; since this was technically the first time they had actually heard Eli yell.

As if things couldn't get any more worse, Ryder made a quick counter to Eli.

"And why the hell should we listen to the guy who's too ugly to show his face?"

Hina's eyes stretched wide open while Eli clenched his fists. Somehow, this had managed to make him snap.

Eli slowly inched his right hand towards his dinner tray. _"I personally think your face is the ugliest out of all of us here. Hey, why don't you try this on; I think it'll make you look__** so much better."**_

Without warning, Eli scooped up a mound of his mashed potatoes and threw it at Ryder. Thanks to his training, Ryder managed to duck before the airborne projectile hit his face. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for DJ (who was still focused on eating rather than the argument going on next to him) since he was sitting right next to Ryder.

Everyone froze in place when the potatoes managed to find a way at DJ's face. DJ just raised a hand and slowly slathered off the food stuck on his cheek. He then turned to his squadmates.

_**"That's it. You're all fucked."**_

Before anyone could say anything else, DJ literally dragged Eli and both Walker brothers to the ground. What happened next was too confusing to follow, like one of those cartoonish fight-scenes you'd see with random body parts showing amidst a large dust-cloud of violence.

Hina covered her mouth in shock while Hank calmly finished his pie. It was apple.

Hina turned to Hank desperately as her last resort.

"Don't just sit there! Do something!" she ordered him.

Hank blinked in surprise when he saw what was happening. Was he _that_ obsessed in his dessert that he had completely forgotten what was going on around him?

Hank stood up; almost as if he was going to stop the fight himself. But instead, he dragged the dessert trays with the untouched pies from Eli and the Walker Brothers to his direction.

"Yes…" he whispered to himself.

Hina banged her head into the table.

Shane, meanwhile, was sitting across from 574, staring into the brawl expressionlessly. A grin came over his face and he turned to his partner.

"That's one Hell of a _**'special'**_ group you've got there Mikhail."

"Shut the fuck up."

* * *

Hank walked back to his room. He was done for the day, so he didn't have to worry about Aidan, or any of the other sorry fuckers he had to deal with.

Swiping his keycard into the designated machine, he saw the light blink green and entered. The sight of his bed already made him tired, but Hank knew that he had to at least take a shower first before sleeping.

Turning on the lights, Hank winced as his eyes slowly adjusted. Instead of having to go back downstairs, to his surprise, there was a bathroom with a shower right beside him; almost as if this was some kind of hotel.

Hank grinned. This place was awesome…well, minus the fact that he was sore as fuck.

Taking his shower and brushing his teeth, Hank went back to his bed and laid there. Again, there was no sign of Nikolai anywhere, meaning that he must've gone taking the late combat shift.

Either that or he just didn't want to see Hank awake.

Hank felt the darkness consume him to sleep. Day one of the month Grayson gave 574 was over.

**Only twenty-nine more days until his squad will have to face the toughest challenge of their lives yet.**

* * *

A/N: End of Chapter 18. I'm quite surprised that I managed to push myself all the way here in one day. With my tight schedule and all, quite frankly, I'm just surprised that I have time to _breathe._ I did manage to cover one important factor here though, which DodgeStreaker brought to my attention: _nobody in Hank's squad had ever questioned 574 as to why they can't call him Mikhail._ I suppose she definitely did have a point when the whole situation about avoiding that idea was kinda strange and awkward. So I'm happy I covered that flaw up here.

Anyways, moving right along to Reviewers' Credits now:

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

_**DodgeStreaker:**_ Thanks for the review again. You can thank Sacrom though for that line; he's quite the artist when it comes to dialogue.

I don't really know what to say though after everything that has happened lately, but thanks I guess. I'm sorry that things aren't working out for you well as of now. I hope they somehow get better.

* * *

_**The Dark Madness Dragon:**_ Thanks bro. I'm glad you enjoyed the new components I've put in. DJ's powers and hand will come in when necessary though (such as in combat missions and stuff). I won't reference to them in normal situations since that's just a waste of space. However, do not worry; they will come later on in the story; I haven't forgotten about it just yet.

Thanks for the review.

* * *

_**SirPolarBear:**_ Heh, thanks. Really glad to hear the chapter was worth it Billy. :)

Again, ya gotta credit Sacrom for his awesomeness. He managed to make 574 and all the other characters more badass than I ever could. But thanks; I'm sure he appreciates the compliment (since I do).

Lol, that's one Hell of a reference you've got there. I haven't even realized how similar the Calcium Regenerators were to the Chamber of Secrets moment! That was actually really interesting to read.

Thanks again! The Holographic Chamber was something I'm proud of.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much too Billy!

* * *

Now to O.C. Credits:

* * *

_**O.C. Credits:**_

_**Agent 574/Mikhail Nikitin **_by _**Sacrom574**_

_**Shane **_by _**DodgeStreaker**_

_**Eli and Hina**_ by _**Kagami**_

_**DJ Anderson**_ by _**The Dark Madness Dragon**_

* * *

And that's all! Sorry if I don't sound excited as usual; I'm just very tired lately thanks to school. I'm managing my grades well, but it's really killing me just to get a goddamn 70 or above in classes like Geometry. Plus, I'm just down in the dumps.

But anyways, thank you all. Like I said before, your support keeps me moving. With every view, I feel myself more inspired to write for the community.

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter of Hank's Legacy. See ya later guys.

~Spirit9871


	19. Brotherly Love

Chapter 19: Brotherly Love

* * *

Hank woke up from the sound of the alarm. It seemed as though 574 wasn't going to use his unique method of waking up newly recruited trainees this morning.

Slamming the snooze button on the thing, Hank held his head to stop the buzzing. God, was he tired. Did he have to wake up like this every single day?

Rather than cursing and complaining to himself, Hank swung his legs from the bed to the floor and walked off towards the bathroom. He didn't have time to take a shower again, so he just washed his face and brushed his teeth. Taking two more pills from his Accelerants bottle, he popped them into his mouth before heading out the door.

Hank remembered that 574 had told them to train with Shane first instead, since he said he was booked in the morning, after they had finished their dinner. He sighed.

God. He really hoped that whatever Shane had in store for them wouldn't include breaking each other's bones apart.

* * *

"CCD: Clear-Control-Disable. This is a very crucial tactic you must remember for combat." Shane began.

Hank looked around him while his teacher continued his explanation. The squad had isolated themselves into separate groups. To his eleven o'clock, there was Hina and Eli; to his two o'clock, there was DJ; Ryder sat behind him at eight o'clock, Aaron at four. The five of them had managed to create a sort of circle around Hank… as if he was a warm fire in the middle of a camping group.

Hank felt himself grow a bit uneasy. Having this much attention around him from three to five different energies was quite uncomfortable to bear, not to mention the death-glare that would be delivered from one of this teammates to another every five minutes or so.

It had happened so many times, even Shane noticed it whilst lecturing the squad. Perhaps a little hands-on work would alleviate the problem, he thought.

"… Right… well then, let's put what I've just told you guys to the test."

Shane picked up a large cardboard box behind him. The team had been wondering just what it contained.

Shane reached into the box and produced a pair of handguns, which he tossed to Ryder and Aaron, whose eyes widened as he caught the realistic-looking weapon.

Shane caught this movement and hastily explained. "Relax, those are just toys. They just shoot pellets. Do you really think I'd give you guys live ammo?"

Aaron sighed in relief, although the others may have been a bit disappointed. At this time, shooting the person they disliked most in the group was probably the best thing that could happen so far.

Shane flipped one of the fake firearms into the air and caught it with the same hand. "Well, I suppose I may be a bit off. These don't just shoot pellets; they shoot _sticky_ pellets. These things stick onto anything, so if you mess up, then it'll be quite clear as to where and when you did so. So I suggest you try your hardest if you want the maximum amount of Credits this class offers. Every pellet that you catch costs you two Credits.

The whole team opened their mouths to protest, but Shane continued before they could utter a word.

"No buts. You guys were too busy trying to kill each other with looks, so those of you who had actually paid attention won't have to worry about a thing."

Shane began pairing up everyone. Hank found himself with DJ - probably the person he could relate to most as of now.

They stood for a few seconds, facing each other. Then DJ motioned him to go first, pointing the gun at Hank's chest. When Shane gave the signal, Hank quickly moved to his right before the pellet would make contact, gently twisting the gun toward DJ's face and mock-punching his face.

As they stood in that position, Hank noticed the substantial amount of bruising DJ had acquired from the lunchtime brawl.

"Christ, were you guys actually trying to kill each other back then?" Hank asked.

"If I was trying, then they should be dead by now." DJ muttered.

"Yeah, yeah. But we should be saving our energy against the Black Snake Squadron, shouldn't we?"

"Well, if the rest of the squad would stop acting like a bunch of pricks, then I suppose we would have a good chance against those assholes. But if we took them on here and now, then it's pretty obvious we're fucked. And everyone here damn well knows it." DJ reasoned.

Hank nodded. He supposed his partner was right.

As Hank pulled out his own gun for DJ's turn, they continued the most pleasant conversation between any of the group members to date.

"You know, for some reason, you look awfully familiar. Did I know you from somewhere before?" Hank questioned.

DJ stared at Hank with disbelief.

"What?" Hank asked, confused.

"You seriously don't remember me?"

"If I did, would I have asked you such a stupid question?"

"Hank, I was in your Spanish class – fourth row, second seat to the back. You were all the way across the room from me. I figured you'd have noticed me at least a couple of times."

With a pang of realization, Hank suddenly remembered. DJ was right, they _had_ shared a Spanish class in Hank's previous school. It seemed as though he had never figured that DJ was there all this time, just like how he was surprised to hear that the other orphans went to the same school with him.

"I guess I never noticed. You were always the quiet one." Hank replied.

"And so were you. But I still remember you fresh from the back of my head." DJ said.

"Well, maybe it was because I _was_ the best student in that class." Hank suggested.

DJ sighed. "I suppose so."

Although that wasn't quite the bonding moment for both of them, Hank had stopped trying to get to know his teammate a bit better. Of the many opportunities to let bygones be bygones, this just wasn't one of them.

Hank continued looking at the others. Eli and Hina seemed to be getting along nice enough; the same unfortunately, couldn't be said for the Walker brothers.

"Watch it! I'm not here to kill you, dumbass! You almost snapped my finger into two!" Aaron shouted at his older brother. Apparently, pairing him with Ryder wasn't such a good idea, since Ryder was "controlling" his gun a bit too harshly.

"Don't tempt me." Ryder responded with a growl.

"Go fuck yourself man. Don't act all tough and mighty when you practically have no cooperative skills, you thick-headed dick." Aaron spat back.

"Weakling." Ryder retorted.

"Faggot." Aaron continued.

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Whore."

"Man-Slut."

"Retard."

"Dick-Face."

"Nimrod."

"Gaylord."

"Asshat."

"Cunt-punter."

"Douche-pickle."

"Dick-Biscuit."

"The fuck is a dick-biscuit?"

"W-well, it's a...uh…I don't actually…know…"

"Both of you, calm yourselves. 574 put you in here so you could learn how to fight, not practice cursing." Shane intervened sternly.

Aaron and Ryder stared at each other for a few more seconds.

Aaron was the first to say something.

"You know, you have some balls trying to act all cool and shit. I bet mom and dad would still be alive right now if you had done something back then, _coward_."

For the first time since the establishment of their squad, Ryder actually seemed angry. As his chest visibly expanded, Aaron suddenly began to feel uneasy. He had never seen his brother this mad before.

Without warning, Ryder leveled his pistol at Aaron's eyes… and pulled the trigger.

Nothing could have possibly prepared anyone for the surprise attack, not even Aaron himself. The moment the pellet made contact he screamed like never before, cursing wildly and blindly while covering his face.

Although the others were still upset about what happened yesterday, they all crowded to help the youngest member of the team. Shane whipped his head around to look at the transgressor.

"RYDER! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?"

Ryder stared at his brother, emotionless. He slowly shook his head and then swallowed before speaking.

"You know, you're damn lucky these aren't actual guns. Because if they were, I swear to God, I would've blasted your brains out, you bastard."

Without another word, Ryder let the training pistol fall out of his hand before turning in the opposite direction and walking away, unfazed by his brother's wailing.

Shane went to chase him, but promptly realized that Aaron was his top priority as of now. Carrying him bridal-style, he rushed him towards the Infirmary for immediate treatment. The rest of the squad, save Ryder, followed suite.

* * *

The group sat outside the Infirmary, dead silent. Normally, Aaron would be making some sort of noise, but as he was out of commission there was really nothing that could break the tense silence. To add to it all, Ryder had not been seen by anyone since he had walked away.

Hank continued staring at the white floor beneath his feet. It was insane: everything had managed to happen so fast that not even he himself was able to comprehend it.

The group heard footsteps behind them and turned to gaze at 574, who was quickly advancing after a quick conversation with Shane.

"Alright," He said, "Talk to me."

"Aaron and Ryder got into a fight. Aaron said something about their parents dying, and Ryder shot Aaron in the eye with one of those sticky-pellet things Shane gave us." Hina briefed.

574 turned to the others for clarification. After a few seconds of silence, he shook his head.

"Unbelievable. And let me guess, Ryder decided to split off the group after this, correct?"

Hank looked at the agent with surprise. "How'd you know?"

"There's been no sign of Ryder ever since he shot Aaron. We've searched the whole facility for him, but it's as if he's not even here. Probably because he isn't."

Before anyone could say anything else, a man ran up to them. He was about 574's age, slightly taller and clad in an Army-green T-Shirt, woodland camo pants and combat boots.

"Agent, we've managed to find him!" he gasped, evidently out of breath from running.

574 raised an eyebrow. "Specify."

"A few miles south from the base. He was heading back to Nevada."

The last sentence rang in Hank's ears.

_Was Ryder actually thinking about desertion?_

Well, one way or another, they were going to find out. Right now.

* * *

574 and the team entered a bright white interrogation room. The light was practically blinding since the walls all reflected the same source.

The only other person in the room was Ryder, sitting on a chair with his hands cuffed on the ledges.

Ryder looked up expressionlessly at 574, but then quickly looked down. Strangely, there was no sign of physical damage on the teen's skin. It seemed as if he had not struggled at all when the agents had found him.

"Hello, cutie pie. One of us is in deep trouble." 574 began.

Ryder stayed silent; evidently, he was not in the mood for any jokes.

Seeing as nobody else was planning to say anything, 574 continued.

"Let's start with the basics. Why did you shoot your brother in the eye?"

Ryder looked at his side. "He was pissing me off."

"That's not a proper excuse and you know it. I've seen him piss you off more times than I can count, yet this is the first time you've actually hurt him. Why?" 574 repeated.

Ryder frowned. "He said something, something that we agreed to keep between the two of us. Something we agreed not to talk about. It's kind of like telling a secret."

"And what secret is that?"

"I won't tell you."

"Well, why not?"

Ryder met his teacher in the eye for a second time. "The same reason why we don't call you Mikhail, Agent 574. Aaron and I, we go way back. Definitely not as friends. But we just do. But there are certain things we've agreed not to go back on. Aaron just broke one of them."

The whole group went silent.

Something clicked in Hank's head suddenly – a memory.

* * *

_Aaron turned away. "You're always like that… ever since mom and dad-"_

_Ryder quickly shot a glance at Aaron and abruptly stopped chewing on his gum. Although he was still expressionless, his eyes glowed with anger._

_Aaron stuttered. "R-right. Never mind then."_

* * *

It was clear at that moment that something was up. And it was pretty obvious what. The Walkers' parents were gone… but how did it happen? What exactly happened that made this secret so extreme, to the point where Ryder would shoot his brother in the eye?

Judging from the situation, they wouldn't be getting an answer anytime soon.

574 sighed.

"You made a very, _very_ stupid move, Walker. You leaving the base without any permission from me or the Higher Powers can be considered betrayal. The brass could have easily framed you for revealing our plans and location. They could have had you killed on the spot if they felt like it."

Ryder narrowed his eyes, yet still stayed silent. Of course, he hadn't left because he was a spy. He just needed some time to himself.

"Fine. Tell them to. See if I care." Ryder finally muttered.

574 stared at Ryder for a few seconds, in case the latter was planning to say something else. When the ensuing silence told him otherwise, he shook his head.

"Agent Reid." He called out.

The same man who had informed him of Ryder's capture appeared in the doorway two seconds later.

"Yes sir?"

"I have an order that I would like to be taken out immediately, regarding Ryder Walker."

Hank's eyes widened. Was 574 really going to-?

Reid nodded. "And that order is…?"

_"Release Ryder Walker and drop all charges against his name."_

Hank sighed in relief. Looks like his teacher had lost his marbles… yet. On the other hand, the rest of the group was shocked as to how casually 574 made his decision.

This wave of surprise seemed to reach Reid. "But, Agent 574! This young man here has assaulted a fellow agent, and not to mention, deserted the base, unauthorized! His disobedience all compiles into a death penalty if all rules are abided by!"

574 looked at the man Terminator-style, and spoke with matching coldness. "He is in _my_ squad. _I_ decide what happens to him. Nobody else. Is that understood?"

Reid stared at 574 for several seconds. Realizing that his superior was dead-serious, he nodded in defeat and released the entrapments that kept Ryder in the chair. Ryder slowly stood up, rubbing his sore wrists in silence.

"Dismissed." 574 ended the conversation.

Reid left the room, slightly flustered that 574 had shown mercy. As the group exited before him, they realized that Ryder had not moved a step from where he stood.

"574."

574 stopped and turned his head around halfway. "Walker."

"I specifically told you to kill me. So why didn't you? Why didn't you just save all the trouble of dealing with a 'traitor' and get rid of me once and for all?"

574 turned his head back to his front. Nobody moved a muscle until he spoke:

"I pity you, Ryder. I've been in the Agency for three years, and I've killed more men than I can count. Many were your age. But the difference between you and them is: you've got a brother. And you need to look after him. I read your file, and if it's correct – which I'm sure it is – he's the only family you've got left. And vice versa. "

More silence passed between them for a few more seconds.

"Had you been a singularity on the team, I would have left you to die. Hell, I would've shot you myself."

And with this, 574 walked out. The group just stood there, more dumbfounded than ever before. Was 574 as ruthless as he looked?

574 looked over his shoulder. "Well, are you lads coming or not? Training starts in a few minutes, and I'm sure Klein has Aaron all fixed up; he's quite the miracle-worker after all; our Doctor."

With no other option, the team followed him. At first, Ryder hesitated, but he too realized that he had nowhere else to go.

Clenching his fists, he followed the group.

* * *

"Well, you're one lucky motherfucker, you know that?" Doctor Klein told Aaron.

Aaron said nothing as he stared down at his feet. His right eye was covered by a black eyepatch.

"Thank you, Doctor Klein." Aaron whispered to the man that had saved his vision.

All of the sudden, the door to the Infirmary whooshed open. 574 strolled in, followed by the rest of the squad who formed a circle around Aaron's bed.

Ryder was the only one who had stood in the back, crossing his arms and staring at his little brother's face.

Aaron returned the cold stare back. Instead of the spark of electricity between them though, there was just silence.

Klein continued. "Ah, 574. I was just telling your squad member here how fortunate he was to make it here in time. You should thank Shane - had he run in here a few minutes later, Mr. Walker would have to be seeing with one eye from now on."

574 made a small nod. "I will, soon as I see him."

Aaron, meanwhile, had kept his gaze fixed at his brother. Quite suddenly, he hopped off the bed and turned to Ryder.

"You hear that? You almost made me go blind one eye." Aaron spat at his brother.

574 pressed a hand to his head. Not again…

Ryder nodded slowly, staring at the floor for a few seconds until replying.

**"You still have the other."**

Somehow, this had managed to get the trainee worked up. Instantly, everyone felt his change in stance. Before he could even get a single closer to his older brother, Aaron was immediately restrained by Eli on his left arm and DJ on his right.

Like a rabid dog, Aaron tried to shake off his partners - to no avail.

"Let me go! Let me teach this motherfucker a lesson!" Aaron shouted as he continued trying to stretch out for Ryder. Ryder only stared back, his arms still crossed.

"Aaron. _Stop_."

At 574's commanding voice, Aaron relaxed; assured that he would make no further attempts to get his hands on his brother, Eli and DJ let him go. Aaron tripped forward a bit from this sudden release, but stood upright. He pointed a finger straight at Ryder's face.

_**"I'm done with you."**_

Without another word, Aaron turned away and headed out the room.

"Recruit Walker, where do you think you're going?"

"To the Holo-Chamber, to Shane. Where else?" Aaron replied coldly over his shoulder as he continued walking through the corridors.

574 twisted his lip. Well, at least the kid was going in the right direction.

"… Right. Now then, as Aaron said, we're all going to the Chamber whether you like it or not. Get moving."

The squad filed out of the room and headed to their destination.

"This is one hell of a problem you've gotten yourself into, sir." Klein commented. Over the years, he had learned how to make his presence known when people forgot he was even in the room."

574 shook his head. "Fantastic, now I've got something else to worry about."

Klein turned to 574. "And that is?"

574 raised his head.

_**"My bloody squad is breaking apart."**_

* * *

In the Holo-Chamber, Hank's vision returned to him. The group had already entered their pods and completed the routine procedures they had been taught before, so now they were going to find out who would be paired up with who and where exactly Shane had sent them to.

Once Hank was able to see around him, he realized he was in a jungle of some sorts. The background was nothing but rainforest trees, and the sound of wild animals was clearly audible in the distance.

In addition to this, Hank noticed that he was stuck in a large trench of some sorts. There were metal platforms hanging in thin air for anyone to climb upon, defying the laws of physics as he knew it.

Hank turned around to examine his partners, and his heart almost stopped.

Aaron and Ryder.

_Good Lord._

Hank gritted his teeth, almost ready to rip out his hair. What the Hell was 574 thinking, pairing him with these two!?

When Aaron and Ryder also realized how the teams were organized, each of their faces turned pale, then red with anger. It seemed as though things were about to get worse.

Hank shook his head. No. He didn't want to see any more of that nonsense. It was absolutely clear that their group was fucked.

Looking down at his feet, Hank saw that there were the same weapons as in the Triple Towers map, in addition to what appeared to be a Desert Eagle. The weapons were still dull without color, meaning that the match hadn't started yet.

The loudspeaker went on.

_"Well, it's time for Round 2, you guys. Ready for the challenge?"_ Shane's voice projected.

Obviously not expecting an answer (and not really caring what it would be in the least), Shane continued immediately.

_"Good. I'm going to activate your weapons now as soon as Mikhail explains the new firearm at your disposals."_

There was some shuffling, and a 574's voice took over.

_"Right, so I've added a new gun to your arsenals – the C-01P. Looks like a Desert Eagle, eight rounds in a mag, mags work like the rest of your weapons, pierces walls. So no camping, kiddies."_ 574 advised.

The silence only meant the group understood. It wasn't until Aaron shouted out to 574 that this peace was shattered.

"Hey! 574! Why the hell did you pair me up with _him_? You know damn well I'm not going to work with this asshole after what happened!"

_"Shane's going to activate your weapons now. Good luck."_ 574 finished, disregarding Aaron's outburst.

A loud buzz buzzed and the weapons beneath Hank began glowing red. The large red screen at the center of the map began displaying lines of text.

* * *

_[UNOFFICIAL BATTLE: RED TEAM V. BLUE TEAM]_

_[PROCTOR: AGENT 574 AND -]_

_[ENGINEER(S): SHANE]_

_ [PLAYERS ON RED: HANK, AARON, RYDER]_

_ [PLAYERS ON BLUE: ELI, DJ, HINA]_

_ [MATCH INITIATED]_

* * *

Hank sighed. Oh, goodie. He was on the Red Team. Well, at least he'd be annihilated under the same banner as before.

Aaron gritted his teeth.

"Stay out of my way." He told Ryder harshly before taking the lead and climbing up out the trench.

Ryder rolled his eyes. "You're the one to talk…"

As the two brothers began climbing up to the top, Hank continued analyzing the area around him. If he could at least find some territorial advantage, then he could easily win this, even without help from either Walker.

Sure enough, Hank noticed an entranceway below the trench he could use. It had somehow caved in, so a minute or two of digging would be required to render it usable.

After blasting through the debris and climbing through, Hank looked up. He was right below the bridge that connected both trenches, but it was clear to see who exactly was on there.

Aaron and Ryder were walking their way forward, rifles raised.

On the other side, Hina, DJ, and Eli hid from their enemy's line of view. The way they were huddled together, heads down, told him a plan was being conceived.

Unfortunately for Hank, it was practically impossible to hear what they were saying from where he was. He would just have to let the battle unfold, without his help… for now.

As he continued sneaking forward to the Blue Team's base, he saw that the three of them had nodded. Their plan had been complete, and now it was going to be implemented, to devastating effect.

To Hank's confusion, Hina pulled out her Defibrillator, DJ his pistol, and Eli rifle. DJ stood up from cover and fired off several shots at random, only to be blasted to pieces by both Walkers.

But Hank realized there was more to this plan.

* * *

_[AGENT RYDER ELIMINATED AGENT DJ (RIFLE C01-R)]_

* * *

Almost immediately, Hina began healing DJ back to life. Meanwhile, the Walker brothers began reloading to prepare for a second assault. Unfortunately, Eli had suddenly emerged and sent his own shots towards both brothers. Aaron had somehow managed to duck fast enough to avoid certain elimination. But because he had blocked Ryder's view, the latter wasn't able to react fast enough.

* * *

_[AGENT ELI ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (RIFLE C01-R)]_

* * *

Hank watched as Ryder's disabled body hit the floor. He crossed his fingers.

"Come on Aaron… revive him…" he whispered to himself in hope.

Aaron seemingly stared at his brother for a few seconds – his face expressionless, vending no probable choices. Then, Aaron made his decision.

He turned away from Ryder, charging into enemy lines with his rifle blazing.

This tactic would only prove to be futile, as DJ instantly came up and sent a single bullet from his pistol straight at Aaron's head. Hank watched as Aaron's body went heavy as it flew backwards until hitting the ground.

* * *

_[AGENT DJ ELIMINATED AGENT AARON (PISTOL C-01P)]_

* * *

Hank shook his head pressed his hand to his face. Incredible. The Walker Brothers had managed to get themselves eliminated in a matter of five minutes. If this kept up, then the match would be just as short and just as much of a failure as Hank's last fight. Though he had to admit; the Blue Team sure did make one hell of a plan.

Hank continued forward. The map was symmetrical, meaning that Hank already knew what the terrain would look like once he reached the other team's base. About a minute later, he was already digging through the cave-in wall of the bottom of the trench, this time using his laser sword instead of his shotgun to avoid detection.

Meanwhile, DJ and Eli continued their march onward to the Red Team's trench as well, expecting to see Hank cornered, while Hina held the fort back at the Blue Team's base. By the time the duo had made it to their destination and searched every nook and cranny to make sure that Hank was nowhere in sight, Hank had managed to sneak past their lines and climb up behind Hina.

Hina turned around at the sound of him approaching, but before she could call her comrades for help Hank had clamped a hand over her mouth.

"_Revenge is sweet, isn't it?_" Hank whispered, sliding the blade into her body.

As soon as the life left Hina's avatar, a the screen fizzed and a new line of text.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT HINA (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

It didn't take long for both DJ and Eli to notice this and realize Hank's plan.

Hank also realized that his cover was blown thanks to this. It seems as though stealth was no longer a method for success.

As Eli discovered the route from the bottom, he went through the passage, while DJ took the top. Now Hank really was cornered.

Figuring that the higher up he was, the more advantages he'd have, Hank began climbing up to the top of the bridge. With Eli still managing his way through the bottom, the only opposition he would have to face as of now was DJ.

It took him a split-second to locate DJ, but something was wrong. His target was just standing on the spot, staring at something or someone.

Hank took advantage of the moment, creeping swiftly toward DJ and unsheathing his sword again. For some reason, his enemy was standing stock still.

Shrugging this oddity off, Hank charged. It wasn't until he swung his sword outwards that he realized...

_DJ already had his sword out too. _

In a flash, DJ quickly turned around and blocked the assault Hank had planned with his own sword; the contact caused an electrical fizz, like two lightsabers from Star Wars.

"Did you really think I was stupid enough to fall for that?" He asked Hank.

Hank shrugged, or tried to mirror the motion under the current circumstances. "Well, hey, I tried."

"You better try now, too; otherwise, you're fucked." DJ warned.

He shoved Hank backwards. Hank fell onto his back, but managed to block the slash DJ tried to make at him. Then, in a sudden burst of skill, Hank had managed to knock DJ's sword out of his hand and off the bridge using his own.

Unfortunately for him, he lost the advantage when DJ had also managed to disarm him by kicking his weapon out of his hand. It too, fell into over the edge and out of usable range.

Hank saw DJ's right arm shift in mass. He was going to burst him straight through the floor!

He rolled to his side as DJ sent his fist straight through the bridge. DJ recovered fast, however, swinging a backhanded fist towards Hank as a follow-through.

It made contact, and Hank flew back several meters. Once again, he found himself on his back.

DJ walked up towards him.

"It's over." He said simply, and raised his fist for a final blow.

And at that moment, a quick thought flashed through Hank's mind.

_What if he could use Bullet-Time in the Chamber?_

Not having much time left to think, he tried activating the perk with all his mind, just like how he did when he fought his first BOT.

"_GODDAMMIT, WORK!"_ Hank yelled in his mind.

When DJ finally closed in on him, Hank shut his eyes as he saw the fist fall towards him. After a few seconds, he opened one of his eyelids to see it had worked.

His Bullet-Time was active, its third-ever activation… but its first inside virtual reality.

Pushing his hands up, Hank sent his feet at DJ's lower jaw, both stunning his enemy and getting himself back onto his feet.

His tactic incredibly successful, Hank leaped back to make some space between himself and DJ. He then pulled out his rifle with his left arm and his shotgun with his right.

"_**Now**_ it's over!" he shouted as he fired both weapons simultaneously. DJ wasn't able to catch up to Hank's sudden boost of speed, so his fate was inevitable.

DJ fell back as soon as the last bullets from Hank's shotgun made contact.

"Aw… Damn…" DJ muttered as soon as he realized what had happened.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT DJ (SHOTGUN CO1-S)]_

* * *

Hank holstered his shotgun and slapped a new clip into his AR. Now all that was left was Eli.

Taking one step forward, Hank fell back onto his ass when he saw laser bullets burst from the bottom of the bridge.

"Whoa, shit!" He yelled out in shock.

Recollecting himself, he took off at a run to the other side. However, he barely managed move three steps to the other side before the wooden pathway beneath him exploded into splinters. Again, lasers began penetrating the bridge.

As Hank turned to the other side, for a third time Eli made sure Hank wasn't going anywhere.

Eventually, Hank realized that he had to do something fast, otherwise he'd have his balls blasted from below. Obviously, going left or right wasn't an option, and sadly, he wasn't the flying type.

_**The only option left was to go down.**_

As Eli missed once more, Hank picked up the laser sword he'd dropped earlier to make his move. This time, he made sure to take the fight to Eli.

And then Hank made what was possibly the biggest risk of the entire match:

He sliced off the rope holding the thin bridge, falling straight downwards at Eli.

Eli watched him in complete shock, immobilized by the sheer process that was happening before his eyes. Before he could manage to recollect himself and fire at Hank, it was too late. Falling down at an incredible speed, Hank slashed his sword straight into Eli's head, watching as the blade drove into the top of his skull.

When the bridge hit the other end of the two trenches, Hank had found himself in perfect shape on the ground. Eli on the other hand, could only fall back as the Chamber shut his suit off.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT ELI (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

Hank just stared at the devastation he had caused. He had just swept off the whole of Red Team, alone.

He pumped a fist in the air as a show of his victory.

"WOOHOO! FUCK YEAH!"

* * *

_[NO OTHER MEMBERS OF BLUE TEAM REMAIN]_

_[RED TEAM WINS]_

* * *

Hank slowly felt his vision fade away. The round was over, and Shane was transferring him and the others back to reality.

* * *

Waking up in the pod, Hank waited as the capsule slowly opened itself up. Once it had done so, he pulled off his helmet and walked out.

Everyone else had emerged from their own pods as well. Unsurprisingly, they seemed blown away as to what just happened. Even Ryder and Aaron were silenced by awe.

574 laughed. "Now, _that's_ a match! Brilliant tactic, Blue Team. But Hank, you definitely took the cake this time. It's been a while since I've seen a fight go down like that."

"The cake is a lie…" Hank joked to himself.

574 stabbed a finger at him and broke into a grin. "Precisely!"

"I agree. This was quite the entertaining fight." Shane commented.

574 turned to him. "By any chance, did you manage to record this?"

"Now, what kind of Shane would I be if I didn't?" The engineer said as he pulled out a CD from the system.

574 smirked. "How could I ever doubt you? Is it going public?"

"Well, one thing's for certain: this is going in the record books. But I don't think publishing it to the whole Agency will be a smart idea…" Shane continued.

"Trust me, I'm 574. Besides, wouldn't hurt to show the rest of the world just how much ass we can kick." 574 reasoned.

"Uh… 574…?" Hina cut in timidly.

Shane and 574 turned to the young lady.

"Are we done for the day? That last match was pretty tiring…"

574 looked at her for a few seconds, and Hina looked a bit scared. All of a sudden he broke out into manic laughter, which scared not only her but the rest of the team and Shane as well.

It only lasted a few seconds, and at the end of it came the dreaded verdict.

"No."

The group's negative reaction to this was almost tangible.

"The hell? Why not? We're working our balls off here, 574! Just give us a break!" DJ complained.

For a second time, 574 laughed; it was controlled, now.

"Break? That's a good one. Get your asses back in the Chamber; we're going for round two."

Groaning in unison, the squad trudged back to their pods. Shane closed the doors on them and went back to the control panel to resend 574's squad back into the digital world.

Hands flying over the keyboard to input a code for a different virtual reality environment, Shane stared at the screen as he spoke.

"… Mikhail, I don't think it's a good idea to show off so much. After all, it'll be quite risky to show your potential, to say the least…" Shane trailed off.

574 rolled his eyes. "Calm your tits, Shane. As far as I can figure, showing that the Accelerated Course is doing a fantastic job will help these six land some great positions on the field. And they certainly have the potential to make one hell of a difference in the war."

He turned to stare at one of the pods.

"… Especially our friend Hank over there_**."**_

Shane sighed. Once 574 had made up his mind, normally, there was nobody to stop him. Sometimes he wished his friend could at least be a bit more cooperative with his demands.

"… If you say so."

Shane typed in a few more commands and pressed a final key, sending the team back into virtual reality.

* * *

**I'd like to thank Spirit9871 here for letting me be a part of his story, his wonderful work of art. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and that I didn't overkill 574. It's my fault this is coming in so late, so… my bad. **

** See you all next chapter.**

** ~Sacrom574**

* * *

A/N: Well, that really was Sacrom574 for you guys. He did a fantastic job editing this chapter, and no, I don't blame him for this coming late. After all, highschool is a bitch, so don't sweat it bro. You did great. :)

Anyways, thank you all for being so patient! This chapter really turned out a lot differently than I planned it...but I really like it. And it's going to be easy continuing from here.

Right, enough bullshitting. Let's just get to the goddamn Reviewers' Credits:

* * *

Reviewers' Credits:

**_SirPolarBear:_**Ugh, you can say that again...Geometry must be the one subject that my math skills seem to dislike the most. And that's ironic since math is usually my best and favorite subject. :l

Hehe, well, I do like to use references here and there. And Sacrom574 really does a brilliant job at that kind of stuff. With him being a movie/gun-fanatic and all. XD

Haha, I'll be dead-honest with you; the pie idea was something I had never originally planned. But I thought about it, and I realized that it was time to at least make a Hank-Pie joke now. After all; Hank's Legacy couldn't be complete without pie!

Thanks Billy. And stick around; things are only going to get more insane. :)

* * *

**_The Dark Madness Dragon:_** Hey glad to hear it! I worked really hard in the character portrayals here, so it's really motivating to hear that from you! And yeah; trust me, DJ's going to go through one Hell of a ride in this state.

Thanks for the review dude!

* * *

**_Kagami:_**Hey man! Let's get to both of those reviews of your's:

Chapter 17: Haha, thanks dude. And hey, great to hear you play PB2 also! I really love that game, so who knows? You just might stumble across my account there. ;)

Chapter 18: You're absolutely right about that. I've noticed Chapter 18 was quite short in length, but then again, it was hard stretching out PB2-like battles. After all, if you've played the game, you should know how fast those things escalate XD. Also, thanks! I'm glad you liked the pie-humor implemented in my story! :D

Thanks for the review dude! I'm glad you enjoyed my present to ya bro! :)

* * *

_**Sacrom574:** _Hey George! Thanks for letting me know about that; I know we've discussed about the problem before and said it was impossible to solve, but somehow, after trying it again, it worked. Check Chapter 18 for proof. I really don't know how to explain Fanfiction . net right now...

* * *

**_Guest:_**Hey thanks man! And LOL, people really seem to see the Red Vs. Blue elements in here, don't they? Well, I assure you my friend; that was placed there purposefully!

Thanks for the review! :)

* * *

Now to O.C. Credits:

* * *

**_O.C. Credits:_**

**_Agent 574/Mikhail Nikitin _**by **_Sacrom574_**

**_Shane _**by **_DodgeStreaker_**

**_Eli and Hina_** by **_Kagami_**

**_DJ Anderson_** by **_The Dark Madness Dragon_**

* * *

Okay, with that said and done,** I have some important news to tell you guys. For those of you who haven't realized, my birthday was about a week ago (May 1st). Now, I'm not here to tell you that, so you guys could acknowledge me for it, but because for those of you who have read my profile, it said I was going to retire on May 1st, 2014 (when I turn 16). Obviously, I am 15 as of last Wednesday, but I'm not sure as to if I can make the deadline of finishing up all my planned stories to next year. There is a slight chance I may continue writing if I do not manage to finish all my fics in time, but no promises. I'm not sure as to how things will turn out until then, so just keep your fingers crossed that things go as planned.** **I'm not planning to leave my fanfics unfinished on this site, so I'll do my best to make the date!**

Right, one last thing; for those of you looking for a new Madness Combat fanfic out there, I highly recommend you guys checking out SirPolarBear's fanfic: **_"Eights"._**It's incredibly good, and I found myself engrossed in a multi-chapter fanfic that does not belong to the original Madness Combat writers: CountSheep, Auburn-Haired-Sadist, or Lerioi. In fact, reading SirPolarBear's work really reminds me of CountSheep's stuff (minus the Sanford X Deimos yaoi), so if you really want to read something similar to CountSheep's stuff, then this story is really the fic for you.

Alright, so it's time for me to upload this bad-boy up and get crackin' on Chapter 20. I'll see you guys later soon, and stick around; this is going to get interesting!

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter of Hank's Legacy, and thanks for reading! See ya 'round guys!

~Spirit9871


	20. Only Madness

Chapter 20: Only Madness

* * *

_It had been two weeks since the incident between Aaron and Ryder. The squad's life had become a routine – every day they would wake up at 7 o'clock, and by 7:30 they would already begin their day's training in the Holo-Chamber under the supervision of Shane and 574. They spent hours cramped into the virtual reality-inducing capsules, fighting match after match against each other, each time with a different set of teammates. Hank's favorite combination of comrades was Hina and DJ… when they were playing on equal teams. Quite often and completely at random, 574 would imbalance the teams – sometimes it would be Aaron and Ryder against the rest of the team, or Hank, or a two-on-two battle while the idle two players watched. Due to Grayson of the Black Snake Squadron's challenge, Agent 574 had decided that they would focus on two things only – the Holo-Chamber and Shane's hand-to-hand combat practice, which commenced an hour after their 15:00 lunch and lasted until 21:00, at which point the squad was dismissed and left to do whatever they desired._

_During this time span, Hank had seen dramatic improvement in not only his fighting capabilities, but also of his teammates. The Holo-Chamber had managed to boost their battle tactics and teamwork skills surprisingly well. In addition to this, Hank's Accelerants had managed to raise his speed to a level that would, to any other person, seem impossible to achieve in such a short amount of time. Hank found he was able to get around the facility faster and more efficiently than before. Sure, the squad did have its bad times, but 574 would be able to change their attitudes around with his sense of humor._

_… Unfortunately, this just wasn't one of those times._

* * *

"But 574-!" Aaron began to protest once more.

"Let me make myself clear to each and every single one of you: **we do not have time to relax.** Half the month is already over, and yes, we've made great progress. But we're still not good enough to beat the Black Snake Squadron. So I suggest you quit whining, get your asses back in your pods, and let Shane set you up for another round before I have to do it myself, _by force_." 574 spoke, his voice firm.

A murmur of dissatisfaction ran through the group in response. After hours of nonstop training, there was barely any energy left to argue with their trainer and squad leader.

But Aaron wasn't willing to give up this fight so easily.

"That's easy for you to say! If you were in our shoes right now, I bet you wouldn't be saying that bullshit! And what the hell would you know about our strength, you couldn't take us all down at once even if you tried!"

574 stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked at Aaron with interest. Something told the latter what he had just said had not been a good idea?

"That a challenge, Walker?" 574 asked, smiling.

Aaron made a small gulp and began to form a nervous grin. "No! You heard nothing!"

The squad leader's grin widened. "Yeah, I did. You hear that, Shane?"

Shane chuckled, interested into how this fight would turn out. "Sure did, Mikhail."

Turning back to his pupils, most of which were now a bit uneasy as to what the agent had in store for them, he crossed his arms.

"Okay, let's make a deal. I'll verse you all – six on one, all of you against one of me. And if you _do_ manage to defeat me, I'll give you all a break for the next three days. But, if I win, then you will _comply_ with _all _orders, _without_ bitching about it. Got it?"

The squad was left dead silent. 574 looked and sounded strangely enthusiastic about this battle, and yet it was too good of an offer to pass in their states. Well, it was either this or another rigorous training session, so… why the hell not?

Assuming that the silence was an affirmative response from the group, 574 continued before anyone else could actually speak.

"Good. Now then, let's put our gamble to the test, shall we?"

Before everyone could face the pods, Shane intervened.

"Uh, Mikhail… that might have to wait a little while. We've got company."

574 turned around, confused. A look of confusion took reign over his face once he caught sight of Corey, leaning on the wall next to the entranceway with a serious look.

After a few seconds of awkward silence passed, 574 turned to Shane.

"Seriously, how in the hell did he get in here? I didn't know Corey had access."

Shane sighed. "He doesn't. It's part of our game."

Noticing Hank and Hina and the rest of the squad, Corey decided to speak in sign-language. 574 and Shane understood what he was saying, while Hank's squad was left clueless.

Shane rolled his eyes. "Hey, it's not my fault there's a flaw in the Agency's security systems. I just don't have time for that. And why do you seem all proud about it? You just broke into the goddamn organization again for God's sake."

More sign-language, Corey's hands a blur. Shane frowned.

"Hey! You eat your food with those fingers! Don't say that in front of the kids!"

574 chuckled. "It's not like they're going to understand him anyways Shane."

Shane looked at the squadron behind him. Sure enough, the only expression he received were looks of complete and utter confusion.

Shane sighed. "Good point."

Then, 574 turned to his students. "Speaking of which, what are you guys doing, standing here? Get into your pods _now_. Come on, move it! I'll join you in a bit after I'm done with my little chat."

A bit solemn that 574 had realized the squad was still standing, they all went back into their respective capsules. Each door closed with a hiss, except Hank, who left his own only centimeters ajar to continue listening in to Corey, Shane, and 574.

Seeing he was open for conversation once more, and oblivious to Hank's spying, Corey continued his rapid-fire wordless talk. At one point 574 frowned.

"Wait… who exactly is gone?"

Corey replied with more silent talk.

574 raised an eyebrow. "What the hell? Enzo and Axel? What happened to them?"

Even more hand signs, all a blur to Hank even with his vision, such was Corey's speed and skill. Then, silence reigned. 574 exhaled loudly.

"Unbelievable... and they were so young…" Shane trailed off. Hank felt himself go rigid. He heard the sentence perfectly from his end.

Whoever Enzo and Axel were… did they… _**die?**_

He didn't need a direct answer to know the truth.

Shane now led the conversation. "Alright. So let me get this straight: they didn't happen to accomplish their mission by any chance?"

Corey shook his head. 574 nodded. "Thought so. It was foolish of us to send such two low-level fighters into such an important compound. So if what you're saying is true, it seems as though the A.A.H.W. has one more-"

Then, 574 abruptly stopped. Hank was confused. What just happened?

Almost as soon as the thought ran through his head, the door to his capsule opened a to a foot's length and 574 stuck his head into the opening. "You're a sly bastard aren't you? Show's over. Get in and get ready." With those words he shut the door, and Hank descended into virtual reality.

Hank sighed as he was left into darkness. Bit by bit he saw the world distorting around him, as he really wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.

574 turned to Corey. "Now then, why don't you stick around for a bit? You'll get to see me beat the shit out of my own students after all."

At first, Corey seemed confused, turning to Shane for clarification. Shane merely waved it off.

"Don't bother asking. It's not important."

Turning back to 574, he stared at the squad leader with a bit of hesitation. Somehow sensing this, 574 chuckled lightly.

"Relax, Corey, it'll take a few minutes at most. Besides, an opportunity like this comes only rarely."

Making what looked like a sigh, Corey shrugged. He supposed he could stick around for the show. Well, the show that will have to begin after he told the rest of the details of his findings to 574 and Shane.

* * *

"Goddammit, where the hell is he?!" Aaron muttered impatiently. It seemed as though removing his eye-patch that once covered his damaged eye had now made him as obnoxious as he was before. Well, save the fact that he had now isolated himself from his older brother.

Hank looked around him. The group had been transported to some kind of strange map where the only things holding them up were levitating platforms. The fact that they couldn't see the ground didn't help either. Just as 574 had said to the group beforehand, the whole squadron was on the Blue Team.

"Calm down, Aaron. I'm sure he's just finishing up his talk with the others." Hina reasoned.

Aaron crossed his arms, shooting a nasty look at the rest of his squad. "Some nerve that guy has… pushing us like this, he has it easy! Who the hell does he think he is anyway?!"

"That's for me to know and you to shut the fuck up about." 574, having materialized behind him, spoke.

Shocked from his squad leader's sudden appearance, Aaron almost jumped straight off his own platform. When he finally regained his balance, he turned nervously to meet 574 face-to-face.

"5-574! How long were you s-standing there?"

"Long enough." 574 said coldly, not making things any better for Aaron. Sure enough, he was wearing the armor of the Red Team.

Turning to everyone else, he began. "Alright, listen up people, here's the deal. When Shane teleports me to the other end of the map, we're going to begin. All you lads have to do is one thing: kill me once. That's it. But remember, if I manage to get you all in this one round, you have to follow your end of the bargain too, got it?"

There were no nods or protests from the group. Everyone was still unhappy with this deal… save 574, of course. He seemed almost excited to take the opportunity of whipping his own squad's ass.

"No questions? Fantastic. Now then, let's-"

_**"And what about me?" **_A robotic voice joined them.

Once more, the group was caught in shock from this surprise intervention, their squad leader included this time. The speaker, however, was even more surprising to the group.

"Corey? What the Hell are you doing here?" 574 asked.

Corey shook his head. "You know 574, you've really got some nerve leaving me back there to watch you have all this fun. Be more generous and let me join in, will ya?"

Chuckling, 574 nodded. "Doesn't really matter, they're fucked either way."

Suddenly, a crucial thought flashed through Hank's head, and he turned to face Corey. "How are you speaking? All the time that we've seen you, you've talked only through your phone or sign language!

_"He can't. But because the helmets you guys are wearing are hooked up to your brains, then it's as if Corey's speaking from his mind even with that metal jaw of his." _Shane joined in from his moderating station.

Corey crossed his arms. "Wish you could've given me a better voice, though, Shane. I sound like one of those monotone robots. Guess that's one design flaw you should've thought out a bit more."

A bit annoyed at this statement, Shane decided to fuck around with his partner. He grinned.

_"If you say so, Corey."_

Pressing a few keys, Shane heightened the pitch of Corey's speech patterns to the max.

_"Now, try again."_ Shane insisted.

"If you say-"

Corey suddenly stopped talking when he realized how high his voice was. It sounded like someone talking after taking in the helium of a balloon.

A moment of silence filled the air. Then, everyone (save Eli) broke into hysterics.

"Never knew you were the pranking type Shane…" 574, being the leader, was the first to stop laughing.

Corey twitched one eye. "I didn't either. Now change me back Shane, or else I'll blast you to pieces, you son of a glitch!"

More laughter. It seems as though not even Corey could sound threatening with his modified voice.

_"I actually like you better this way Corey. Much more entertaining." _Shane replied.

"Shane…" Corey said with malice clear in his tone.

Shane sighed. _"Alright, alright…"_

Resetting his commands, Shane finally set Corey's voice back to its default settings. Corey nodded in approval.

"That's better."

574 looked up at the red screen above him to where he assumed Shane was looking at them from. "Alright, enough joking around, Shane. Teleport us to the other spawn point."

_"You got it."_

While Shane worked on that, Corey turned to 574.

"Speaking of which, why not mod our skins? I prefer to look fancy when I kick people's asses." Corey proposed.

574 snapped his fingers when he heard this. "Ah! Shame on me for not thinking that one up. Good idea Niner. All this excitement had made me forget."

The two older men each pressed a button on their forearms, and a screen appeared before each of them. They tapped and scrolled for a couple of seconds to select their desired outfits, and once they were done they both froze in place as if the system had undergone a glitch.

574's armor had turned into a pair of black jeans, shirt, combat vest and hood. The hood itself came with an eye covering like the Green Lantern or Robin from the comics wore, and the eye slits had turned a luminescent red – the only indication to the agent's loyalties inside virtual reality. Corey, on the other hand changed his armor all black with a dark red visor. Corey's suggestion had done its job - the two of them were clad in armor dozenfolds fancier than the standard skins issued to incoming players.

"Whoa, that looks badass! Can we do that?" DJ asked excitedly.

574 shook his head. "Free-for-all matches and advanced agents only. Otherwise it'll just be confusing as to whom to shoot and not to shoot. This is an exception because Corey and I are the only Reds. You guys, on the other hand, we'll be picking you blue fuckers off faster than that big red screen up there can say it."

"I do like the sound of that." Corey added, satisfied.

Aaron's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, Corey's on _**your **_side!? I thought he was with us!"

Corey was almost amused at this outburst and turned to Aaron. "What's wrong Aaron? You scared?"

Aaron bit his lip. "No, it's just that… that's not fair…"

"As far as I can remember, six isn't bigger than two, so I'm afraid your arguement is invalid, Walker." 574 commented.

Aaron rolled his eyes and turned away from the two adults. "Fine! Do whatever the hell you want, see if I care! Hell, you can go call in the whole goddamn Agency to play along on your team while you're at it!"

574 raised an eyebrow. "Was that an offer I hear, Wal-"

"NO!" Everyone besides Corey and Shane yelled at the agent.

574 laughed. "Only joking. Besides, the VR system wouldn't be able to handle that many people." He turned to the screen. "Go ahead, Shane. We're ready."

_"About time. Let's get this over with."_

Before evaporating into particles to their own side, 574 said his last words of advice to the team.

"One, don't hold back. Two, good luck."

When it was Corey's turn, he added his own words as well.

_**"… You're gonna need it."**_

Once the two of them were gone, Aaron turned to the others.

"Fucking assholes… let's kick their asses and make a mess out of them!"

Actually approving of the words coming out of Aaron's loud mouth for once, the others nodded. Shane set up the weapons as the screen began fizzing to reveal its text.

* * *

_[UNOFFICIAL BATTLE: RED TEAM V. BLUE TEAM]_

_[PROCTOR: AGENT 574 AND -]_

_[ENGINEER(S): SHANE]_

_[PLAYERS ON RED: AGENT 574, COREY]_

_[PLAYERS ON BLUE: HANK, AARON, RYDER, DJ, ELI, HINA]_

_[Y'ALL DONE FUCKED, GUYS] _(Shane sure had a sense of humor)

_[MATCH INITIATED]_

* * *

The squadron had begun with a defensive start, unsure and uncertain about the actual potential about their enemies. The awful silence only made things worse for the team's confidence.

DJ and Aaron took the lead while Hina and Ryder took the back. Hank and Eli were to stay in the middle as support in the event thatanything happened from either side.

"THERE!" Aaron suddenly shouted, making the group jump in surprise. Without thinking, he emptied most of his rifle 's clip at twhat he thought he saw in front of him.

When no response was given from the other side and the red screen did not report any eliminations, Aaron sighed. DJ was right; he must be seeing things.

"…You guys do realize what this means though, right?"

Hank and the others turned to the speaker, who was surprisingly Eli himself. They only stared at him in confusion as they waited for the answer.

"If Aaron had fired in that direction and we didn't actually see anything move, then that must mean 574 and Corey are chasing us from behind. And we don't want to lose when we don't see it coming, do we?"

The group could only respond with silence. What Eli was saying made sense, but could it be true? Had 574 and Corey find another way around them in such a small map?

Raising his weapon, Aaron faced his team.

"Well alright. If that's the case, then we'll ram into them like a truck. They won't see it coming and we'll be the win-!"

Suddenly, a large boom reached them from a long way away. Immediately afterwards, a single laser flew through Aaron, making contact with his back and coming out on the other side.

Aaron dropped his gun; eyes widened.

"Wh-what the-?"

Falling to his knees and then altogether onto the floor, Aaron's suit deactivated itself. The red screen followed suite:

* * *

_[COREY ELIMINATED AGENT AARON (SNIPER RIFLE CS-YIPPIEKIYAY)]_

* * *

While Aaron shouted for someone to heal him, everyone turned to where the bullet originally came from.

Sure enough, it was Corey, perched down with the sniper rifle with 574 lying right next to him. Their dark-colored suits had helped them blend in with the dark terrain around them; practically making them invisible to the naked eye.

"Well, Eli, that was a good assumption of yours. You'd make a good strategist, but unfortunately, you were wrong just this time. Be more visualant of your surroundings, will you? And I speak for the whole group." 574 advised.

He turned to Corey. "Nice shot. Aimed straight for the center of the chest... why not the head? I know you're more than talented for that."

"Because it hurts more if you blast their heart to pieces instead of their noggin'. Leave the brains to let them feel it."

574 chuckled. "Da. Now then, let's see if you can get two in a row."

On the other side of the field, Hank and his squad were in panic. They were already one man down, and if this kept up, 574 and Corey would leave the Chamber without a digital scratch on them.

"Get down!" Eli shouted to break the others out of their shocked trance.

Immediately, the rest of Hank's squad hit the floor before Corey's next bullet could take down anyone else. As they crawled back, DJ dragged Aaron by his disabled leg to lower ground where they could at least crouch without having their heads blown off.

"Holy shit! We almost just got totaled back there! Those two could have ripped us all apart if they wanted to!" DJ yelled, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

"Well, we can't stay down here forever! One way or another, they're going to corner us!" Aaron hollered back after being revived by Hina.

Eli and Ryder began to trade shots with the experienced duo, standing up from cover to fire a burst or two before diving back under as return fire came from the other direction. It went on like this, with Ryder and Eli taking turns firing and reloading.

Finally, Ryder took a bullet to the eye, falling back quickly.

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (RIFLE C01-R)]_

* * *

Hank pulled out his defibrillator and quickly brought Ryder to life. Ryder frowned.

"Well fuck. Those two are dodging our bullets like they're Nerf pellets. And they're closing in, **fast**. We need to get out of this trench before they fuck us over completely." Ryder informed his partners.

"But how? We'll be shot before we can even climb out of here!" Hina insisted.

"Ryder, switch spots with me." Eli ordered.

Doing so, Eli faced the others.

"I have a plan. It's suicide, but it's a plan."

* * *

Corey continued inching forward, his rifle aiming for any sign of heads, chests, or any part of a human body.

Rolling his eyes, he continued facing forward as he spoke to 574.

"You know, I expected this to be more fun. But now this is just camper elimination." He muttered.

574 narrowed his eyes, not losing his composure either. "Just wait. They'll come up with something interesting to get themselves out of there."

Sure enough and almost on cue, two of Hank's squadmates had jumped out of the trench, laser swords flickering to life in their hands as they ran towards 574 and Corey – Eli and Ryder.

Corey raised an eyebrow. "Charging at us like that? Have they lost their minds?"

"Probably," 574 grinned, accepting the challenge his students presented to him with open arms. He slung his rifle over his bag and activated his own laser sword on his right hip. His model had been modded to look like a lightsaber from _Star Wars._

"Well, there's only one way to find out, is there?"

Corey nodded, setting his rifle aside and unleashing his own sword.

"Let's show these poor suckers who they're messing with."

Ryder and Eli were the first to strike. However, 574 and Corey blocked and evaded their futile assault, skills honed in the field and force of will coming to life. They striked and parried for a few seconds, until Ryder left a gaping hole in his defense as he raised his sword for an overhand blow. His trainer took advantage of the situation and grabbed his wrist, stopping the sword in mid-flight as he slid his own into his trainee's abdomen.

Corey on the other hand, had embarked on a much more complex counter-attack sequence. As Eli slashed towards his sides, Corey slid below him on his knees, managing to make it behind the trainee while he was still cooling down from his attack. Unfortunately for Eli, Corey had merely thrust his sword backwards into his back and through his chest before the young man could even comprehend what was going on.

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (LASER-SWORD)]_

_ [COREY ELIMINATED AGENT ELI (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

Once the two grown men had pushed off the disabled trainees off themselves, 574 sighed.

"Wow. I really did expect more from my group than just this. Either they really did lose their minds or I've taught them wrong." He paused for a second. "Possibly, both."

Corey shook his head as he stared at his partner's team. "I wouldn't say that just yet, 574. Look at what they're doing."

574 raised an eyebrow in interest and turned to examine his squad.

Hank, Aaron, DJ, and Hina were aiming straight at them with their assault rifles. They had managed to get themselves out of their trench and back into battle while 574 and Corey were taking out Eli and Ryder.

574 smirked. "A distraction, huh? Very nice, I legitimately didn't see that coming. But they should've at least resorted to someone other than their two best fighters."

Corey though, did not seem so ecstatic. "Don't get too cocky, now. They've got us in quite the sticky situation. And I'm not planning on losing to a bunch of teenagers any day of the year."

"Da."

"Well then, you're the one who got us into this messy bet, so what do you propose in that Russian head of yours, 574?"

574 laughed. "I say we get in there, fill them with holes, and traumatize them for the next year or so."

Corey nodded slightly. "That sounds like a plan."

Meanwhile, Hank and the rest of his squad watched as 574 and Corey casually chatted on smack in the middle of the battlefield. They were too nervous to fire; uncertain about what exactly the two of them were capable of under desperate circumstances.

"Why are they just standing there and talking? They should be charging at us like bulls at this point!" DJ whispered to the others.

"Well whatever they're doing, it looks like they're sure taking their sweet time planning about it. I say we at least move back and retreat a bit while we can. Not in a trench of course, but just somewhere we could at least have more of an advantage to beat those two." Hina offered the others.

"Well _**I say**_, we all aim for their heads and blast them to Kingdom Khan! It's time we taught these douchebags a lesson!" Aaron said, angrily.

Hina shook her head. "No Aaron! Don't! They've gone through situations like this before, so I'm sure they'll-"

But her words were pointless – Aaron had already opened fire. Since the others had no other choice but to support their teammate, they followed suite.

574 and Corey turned almost as soon as Aaron began his aggressive attack.

"Ready?" Corey asked.

574 cocked his head, a madman's grin spreading over his face. "I'm always ready."

The duo had split to two different directions towards the trainee. With a combination of savvy turns and inhumanely high jumps, Hank and the team failed to get even a single shot into their opponents.

As Corey led the attack, he did a ninja-like flip above their heads and landed smack into the middle of their formation. As Corey summoned his single sword, Aaron and Hina did the same with their own while Hank and DJ kept their eyes on 574. Seeing as to how there was no way he would make it out unscathed unless he had another sword to fight with, Corey stole DJ's sword straight from his utility vest and activated both weapons, a blue laser sword in the left and a red one in the right. With his akimbo loadout, Corey easily deflected every hack and slash Aaron and Hina tried making into his defenses, almost like a two-versus-one scene from _Star Wars_.

A few feet away from this battle, Hank and DJ were having their own skirmish with 574. The man was barely trying with one sword as he held off his two students. Finally getting impatient at one point, 574 slashed outwards while DJ accidentally lowered his guard. He managed to get DJ's left arm; numbing it down completely as he moved back to make space for himself and the others.

Irritated that 574 had scored a hit, DJ growled in anger.

"That's it! I'm going to blast you straight across the goddamn map!"

Shoving Hank lightly to the side, DJ's right arm shifted in mass, readying for an attack. DJ had managed to train his powers over the course of the two weeks, so he was certain that 574 wouldn't see his massive blast of strength coming.

"Here! Eat this!"

Slamming his fist directly at 574, he grinned as he felt his knuckles made contact with flesh. But the grin had quickly melted away as he realized the flesh was 574's palm, which had curled itself around DJ's fist and effectively stopped his assault.

"No way…" DJ trailed off.

"Well, I definitely felt that." 574 praised, applying force to his hold and simultaneously releasing DJ, causing the latter to stumble backwards. Noticeably, though, the arm 574 used to push back DJ with had appeared to have grown weaker in strength.

**"But now, you're going to feel this."**

In a fluid series of moves, 574 unslung his assault rifle from his back (it had been modified to have the look of an AK-47, wood and all), took aim, and emptied the whole clip into DJ. Feeling each and ever one of the rounds as they hit him, the latter fell off the platform.

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT DJ (ASSAULT RIFLE C01-R)]_

* * *

Hank barely had enough time react to the execution-like finishing move, and now 574 turned slowly to face him.

"If you plan on virtually pissing yourself before virtually dying, now would be the best time." He advised.

Hank stepped backwards slowly, away from 574. Unfortunately, he would only make it a foot away from him until coming up against Corey's chest with the back of his head.

He turned around, his eyes widening as he saw Hina's virtual form slumped over Corey's left shoulder, Aaron over the right.

* * *

_[COREY ELIMINATED AGENT AARON (LASER-SWORD)]_

_[COREY ELIMINATED AGENT HINA (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

Corey stared at a visibly panicking Hank with amusement. "You're all alone, kid."

Hank sighed. Goddammit, why did he always have to be the last man standing? Why did everybody leave it up to _him_ to save the day?

He didn't have time to ponder the answer, as both Corey and 574's swords flashed down at him. Hank moved his own to defend himself.

There was a sudden fizz of electricity in the air, and then silence.

574 smiled. "Looks like you've finally decided to use it, Hank…"

Hank was standing between the two men with swords at both of his hands. He had managed to block the attacks on both sides successfully, thanks to his exponential increase in reaction-time.

_**"**__…your Bullet-Time.__**"**_

Corey looked up at 574 and nodded.

Realizing that he didn't have much time until his ability would wear him out, Hank began his counter-assault, pushing away both his enemies from both sides with his own force and watching the two of them recollect themselves in slow-motion. Damn, did it feel good to see them retreating for once, Hank thought, but back to work.

Since Hank was less accustomed to Corey's fighting style, he decided to go for 574 first instead. Hank would lose standing in this match.

574 was slow compared to his speed, so Hank decided to send both swords straight at his head. They flashed downwards in a blur, and suddenly...

… Fizzed?

Hank couldn't believe it. Two swords and the presence of Bullet-Time _still_ weren't enough to overcome his trainer alone with a single sword. It was appalling, at least to Hank. 574 was faster than him _without _Bullet-Time and while Hank was using his own! He was even faster than Aidan, from all the way in the lockers when he'd kicked his and about five others' asses.

Deciding to help his student in this unbalanced fight, 574 nodded to point at whatever was in the back of Hank.

"Careful, you've got Corey to worry about too, remember?"

Hank rapidly spun around to meet Corey face-to-face. He was able to slide to the side before a jab from the man's sword would puncture his chest.

As Hank moved back to a defensive stance, Corey rolled his eyes.

"Damn it, 574, I almost had him. Do you want to win or not?"

574 shook his head. "Settle down now, Corey. Let's at least give the poor lad a chance."

Corey narrowed his eyes at 574. "Let's just get this over with. As much fun as I'm having, I do have a schedule to deal with too you know."

Nodding, 574 looked at Hank.

_**"**_Get ready Wimbleton, because this is about to get a lot worse."

They both charged towards him, swords flashing. For the first few moments Hank managed to block their attacks with the assistance of his natural Bullet-Time, but he was losing his composure. The two older combatants had increased their speed twofold, as if they had switched gear in their bodies.

While Hank had focused the larger part of his concentration on Corey this time, he only managed to make a small scrape on his chest. Unfortunately, his move was easily countered with a push kick from behind, courtesy of Agent 574.

Quickly regaining control, Hank rolled to the side before Corey could stab him with his sword. The narrow platform the three of them were centered on only made things worse for the outnumbered and outmatched teenager.

Hank swung his right leg in an outwards sweeping motion, trying to get 574 off his feet. Unfortunately, the mentor had predicted such a maneuver and backflipped away.

Once Hank had gotten back onto his feet, he realized his body had begun growing slower thanks to the brute attack 574 had inflicted upon him. His Bullet-Time had only begun wearing off too, making things even worse.

Seeing this as an advantage, Corey and 574 charged towards Hank. He only had a few seconds to react as he jumped to the side and slashed towards Corey. Unfortunately, the holes in Hank's attack were now way too obvious, so all the informant had to do was slash away at Hank's open spots to knock him to the ground.

Feeling the sword loosen from his grip, Hank watched as it uselessly rolled off the platform, too far off from reach. As a last-resort method, Hank tried pulling out his assault rifle to blow away the competition. But before he could even pull the trigger, 574 had slammed his foot on his arm, disabling any form of movement. All Hank could do was watch himself be held at the mercy of the two professionals towering above him.

574 pulled the assault rifle from Hank's grip, reversed it, and leveled it at its owner's face.

_**"**__Back to reality, Wimbleton.__**"**_

He released a short three-round burst at Hank's head, and the screen fizzed its final lines.

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT HANK (SHOTGUN C01-S)]_

_[NO OTHER MEMBERS OF BLUE TEAM REMAIN]_

_ [RED TEAM WINS]_

[_NOW WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU?_]

* * *

After practically stumbling out of the Chamber from the intense fight, Hank almost fainted from the blast of fresh air hitting his face after being crammed in the pod for so long. His teammates quickly followed suite.

"Hey, at least you guys tried, and you sure put up one hell of a fight." Shane tried comforting the group with. Unfortunately, not even his words could help them, because thanks to their deal, they now had to follow 574's demands regardless of how gruesomely tiresome they might be.

Soon after, Corey and 574 exited their own chambers too. Automatically, the group expected 574 to crack some kind of joke to lighten the mood.

Quite on the contrary, 574 seemed strangely unsettled.

"_Trying_ doesn't cut it, Shane," 574 protested. "Although your final tactics were good, they were not reasonable. Sending out two of your best fighters on a suicide run to escape that trench... you practically lost the game thanks to that."

Angered by the fact that 574 was actually scolding them, Aaron retaliated. "So what the hell did you expect us to do then!?"

"_Don't. Get. Trapped._" 574 replied, his voice surprisingly firm.

Noticing that his teacher was not willing to take any bullshit as of now, Aaron shut up.

Turning to the rest of the group, the agent frowned.

"Do you know why I'm forcing you to do all this?"

Everyone in the squad looked up to 574, actually interested to know the answer themselves. Why was he tormenting them like this?

"Because half the month's over and you've barely made any progress as a team. And it doesn't only cause problems for our match with Grayson, but also with our reputation. If you want the good, exciting missions, then you need to work together. Otherwise, we're going to leave you behind because you'd be killed within the first five seconds of a fight."

Corey turned to Shane in confusion. His hands went to work again, likely asking about just what the hell was going on.

Shane shook his head. "It's a long story." He whispered.

Once more, Aaron decided to go for a witty comeback. "So what half the month is over? We've still got the other half to train! And it's not like we're going on any missions or Holo-Chamber battles anytime soon, so calm your tits 574!"

The group began mumbling to themselves in agreement. 574 frowned. He had known this would happen.

So just to teach them a lesson, he was going to drop the biggest surprise yet on his little team.

"I'm afraid you're wrong about that, Walker." 574's dead-serious tone broke through the group's trains of thought.

Everyone turned to him, taken aback. "What do you mean? Are we going on a mission?" Hina asked 574.

"No," 574 answered,"but you do have a match against the Hydra Squadron tonight at 19:00 in the Chamber, so good luck with that. Your appearance to The Higher Powers and the Agency is now officially on the line."

Everybody stopped in their tracks, dead-silent. The only perceivable sound now was the hum of the machines around them.

Then, Ryder, in a hoarse whisper:

"You're…you're fucking with us, aren't you, 574? There's no way that you'd just do this without telling-"

"Nope." 574 said simply, as if there was nothing wrong about dropping this event on his squadron like a bomb. "Whether you like it or not, you're going to fight the same group that quite recently lost to the Black Snake Squadron."

"Are you fucking insane!? Why the hell would you do this to us, 574!? You even said so yourself; we've barely made progress as a team! We'll be fucking hammered!" DJ shouted in protest.

"I have to admit," Shane suddenly joined in, "your pupils are right about this. You should've at least given them a warning about such an event rather than at the last-second Mikhail. When exactly did you schedule this fight with Zaydan?"

574 slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "This morning."

"For tonight!?" Shane questioned in disbelief.

574 nodded. "You might think I've gone fucking crazy for doing this. Well, rest assured: I was already mental, all the way back when I started. No, I'm just fucking around with all of you: I did this because you – all of you – just stopped listening to me. I'm trying to make you all stronger, faster, and smarter, but you seem to repay me with more lip. So now, you haven't got a choice. Let's see how well you fare fighting in the Chamber with agents other than yourself."

Hank's group could not go against this logic. It was true: over the course of the past two weeks, the squadron had begun getting exceptionally bitchy and lazy. He supposed they deserved punishment, but Hank wished 574 could've at least tried a softer approach…

"We're all on the same page now, da? Da. We've wasted too much time fooling around, and now it's already lunch. I suppose training will end here. Rest up and regain as much energy as possible for the battle. I don't want to be fighting with any corpses in this game." 574 instructed.

"Wait…you'll be fighting _with_ us?" Aaron asked in surprise.

574 nodded. "Squadmasters may also join the fight as well if they agree to it."

Hank sighed in relief. Okay, so at least they had 574 on their side. Hopefully, the other team's squadmaster was a bad fighter.

"But of course, this won't be some walk in the park. Squadmaster Zayden was known as one of the best of the best in his times." 574 added as if on cue.

Fuck…

"Anyways," 574 continued, waving that disturbing fact he said before away, "just stay alive and do your best. Then maybe we'll have a chance for winning, okay?"

Silence. Wow, this was a quiet group.

"Now then, let's get to the cafeteria. The faster you guys eat, the more free time you get before the match."

574 turned to Corey. "You could come with us, if you like."

More sign language. 574 sighed.

"Alright, alright, I know you have shit to do. Thanks for joining us anyways. Appreciate the support."

Corey nodded to 574 and then to Shane, turning away and walking out of the room nonchalantly. Hank always wondered what exactly Corey did in his free time, but judging from the fact he didn't know a single thing about sign-language other than one used his or her hands to communicate, he'd likely never know.

"And you, Shane?" 574 invited once more.

Shane stretched his arms out, starved from watching the exciting battle that just taken place in front of him.

"Alright, I'll join you."

* * *

Chicken soup, some bread with beans, sausage, and eggs; a lunch meal considered "small-portioned" in the Agency. Just went to show how after a hard day of missions, the agents ate like wolves.

The group ate very quietly while the other agents around them were bustling with life. It was a very tense moment that nobody wished to talk about. 574 on the other hand, seemed strangely calm and eased as he read the local newspaper that was handed out in the Agency and sipped some iced tea.

All of a sudden, the man swore in Russian and slammed the gazette to the table, making the squad jump and turn to him in surprise. Such displays of emotion were very, very rare.

"What's the matter?" Shane asked.

574 looked up at Shane and shoved the newspaper slightly towards his direction.

"Here, read this shit." 574 replied with disgust.

As Shane raised the newspaper to read it for himself, most of Hank's squad had tried to crowd around the engineer to take a glance of the article themselves.

"Let me see! I wanna see!" Aaron yelled like a little child.

"Jesus-fucking-Christ, alright! Alright! Give me some room for fuck's sake and I'll read it out loud to all of you kids." Shane snapped back.

Complying with his demands and dying to know what exactly 574 had gotten so worked up about, they returned to their seats. Shane exhaled deeply as he felt himself grow more comfortable from the awkward situation. He began.

* * *

"_**CONGRESS ALLOWS AGENCY AGAINST HUMAN WARFARE TO BEGIN CLASSIFIED TESTS IN NEVADA:**_ _The Agency Against Human Warfare, or well-known for their abbreviated name, the: 'A.A.H.W.' has received the thumbs-up from government officials to resume militaristic research in the state of Nevada. More research facilities have now been set for the Agency to speed up processes regarding technological breakthroughs in hi-tech weaponry. These breakthroughs have been rumored (but not supportable with any solid evidence) with: the creation of new super-soldiers that may be used in the United States military for wars abroad, state-of-the-art biological technology that could help with medicinal diseases such as cancer and/or dysfunctional organs, and possibly even deadly weapons of mass-destruction that have the capabilities to decimate a continent in a matter of minutes. There is a high rate of production for these new innovations for possible measures such as: defense, counter-terrorism, and even for the war against the vaguely known rebellion against the A.A.H.W., the "Anti-A.A.H.W.". _

_ With global warfare on the rise, the man in charge of the A.A.H.W., known as "The Auditor" only presses for further benefits to his group, as he quotes: "The only way for a peaceful world is by eliminating those who dare terrorize with us. And by making ourselves stronger as a nation in terms of the military, we become one step closer to world peace."_

* * *

Shane suddenly stopped.

"That's it?" Aaron questioned.

"That's it." Shane repeated.

Hina shook her head. "This is horrible… doesn't anyone see that The Auditor is trying to take over? What makes them think that this was a good idea?"

"Apparently, the idea of using guns to get rid of guns appeals to 'Murica." Ryder responded.

Hank clenched his fists; staring down angrily at his soup. The A.A.H.W. was only getting stronger, and it seemed as though every facility the Anti-A.A.H.W. took down, ten more popped up in its place. It was insane; they were fighting a war one to ten-thousand. Worst of all, the American government was actually _supporting _The Auditor's empire, making things exponentially easier for the man to proceed with his plans of world domination.

And the Sheriff: how was Hank supposed to get the revenge he desired so badly if the dictator over Nevada would only grow stronger?

574 sighed, having stood up as Shane read the last few lines of the article. "Like they say, fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity/ You shoot someone in the head, and most likely someone is going to shoot you back. We're fighting the A.A.H.W. not for peace, because that's just impossible in times like this. No. we're fighting to _prevent_ future wars. If the Auditor keeps up his research and his weapons fall into the wrong hands, there won't be any part of Earth left to fight for. Someday, if this war still manages to go on, when the older generations of agents either die out, you're all going to replace them. And hopefully, _you_ will become the last generation of this war."

Someone in the squad swallowed. The way 574 said it made things seem so much more serious than they actually were.

Softening his look and placing the last part of his bread into his mouth, 574 stood up.

"Well then, lunchtime is over. You may all do whatever you please for the remainder of your time. Just make sure you show up at the Holo-Chamber by 19:00, will you? Now then, I must carry out some business."

574 turned to Aaron. "Care to join me?"

Sighing, Aaron crammed the last of his food into his mouth and slid the tray into the trash before standing up. Without another word, he followed 574 out of the cafeteria.

DJ stared at the two figures as they receded, then turned around to look at the remaining squad members.

"Has anyone else noticed Aaron is spending more time with 574 than usual?"

They nodded in unison. Then, as if they had rehearsed the movement, they all turned their heads to look at Shane?.

"What?" The grown engineer looked at them all, confused as to why the squad was suddenly giving him so much attention.

"Do you know anything about this?" DJ pressed on.

"Like hell I would." Shane replied, "I'm the closest thing he has to a friend in here, sure, but if there's one person that knows what the hell he'd doing, it's 574 himself. If he'd told be anything at all, I wouldn't have been as surprised as you guys when he told you about the match."

The group finally released their attention from Shane. DJ sulked in his seat, but then turned to Ryder for any clues.

"I know what you're thinking." Ryder said, before DJ could start, "But believe me, I know as much about this as Shane. Aaron stopped talking to be ever since I almost blew one of his eyes out, remember?"

DJ sulked once more. "Well that sucks."

"Well I, on the other hand, think 574 is training Aaron." Hina chimed in.

Now this was an interesting statement. Aaron getting some extra training? Would 574 really put any extra time dealing with the kid?

"What makes you say that?" Ryder asked, as interested as Hank was. He couldn't imagine Aaron growing stronger than he was, so this was a bit troublesome to the older sibling.

"Because," Hina began, "have you guys ever noticed that Aaron always seems tired when he's done with his session with 574? Like, he always seems exhausted when he joins the rest of us? Slower?"

Hank gulped slightly, turning a bit red in the face. Another odd idea came into his head after Hina said that. A really…_**really**_, odd idea.

When Hina noticed everyone else's faces heat up as well, she first looked at them with confusion. Then, she finally caught on as to what everyone else was thinking and turned red as an apple.

"Not that, you idiots! Get your minds out of the gutter!" Hina shouted, embarrassed.

"Either way," Eli started, trying to change the subject, "Assuming that that's what 574 is doing for Aaron, I suppose it was the right choice. Aaron needs the extra help. He's a bit slow with his combat skills, and his attitude doesn't help. He's begging to get himself killed at the rate he's going at."

Ryder stared at Eli for a few minutes, digesting this information. Then he chuckled, gaining the attention of everyone around the table.

_**"I feel bad for 574 then, because he's wasting his time. Aaron's hopeless; he doesn't have a chance."**_

Everyone stared at Ryder, surprised that out of all the people in the world, he was the one to say such a thing. DJ frowned.

"What exactly do you have against your brother? I mean, yeah, he's annoying. But out of everyone else here, he looks up to you most!"

Ryder shot a bored look at DJ. "I already told you, didn't I? At the Interrogation Room? Let me refresh your memory: **it's complicated.** So deal with it and buzz off."

DJ shook his head and looked away from Ryder. "Jesus Christ… since when the hell did you become such a jerk?"

"Since now." Ryder firmly stated, as if it was fact. He then looked at everyone else.

"I'm done eating. I'll see you all later."

Ryder walked off towards the same exit 574 and Aaron had gone a few minutes earlier. Shane stared at all this, not saying a word.

_'Damn. Mikhail was right... his squad really is breaking apart.'_ He thought to himself.

* * *

One-by-one, each member of Hank's team left, until he was sitting by himself. Finally finishing his food, Hank threw his tray in the garbage bin nearby him and walked off. As he headed towards his room however, he noticed that there was a door at the end of the hallway that aroused quite a bit of interest in him.

_**AGENT 574**_

Before Hank could walk over and enter the compartment however, he read the sign underneath this plaque:

**_TRESPASSERS_**_** WILL HAVE THEIR ASSES KICKED**_

Well, crap.

Hank stared a few feet away at the door. He really did wonder what was going on in that room. And Hina's description only made him even more curious.

Almost as if on cue, a young agent had come out of nowhere and headed to the door. In his excitement to acquire the audience of 574 he completely disregarded the sign on the door. Flipping it open, he dashed in...

**… only to be kicked out exactly three seconds later, flying through the doorway and landing on his ass in the hallway as the door shut**.

A split-second later it opened slightly, and Aaron's head appeared in the crevice, followed by his hand which pointed to the sign at the door as he looked at the indignant trespasser.

"Do you even literacy?"

Brushing himself off, the recently-rejected agent stormed off around Hank, muttering curses under his breath as Aaron disappeared behind the door and slammed it shut. Judging from the show that had just taken place right in front of him, entering without permission was obviously not an option.

Deciding to go with a much less aggressive approach instead, Hank casually walked towards the door and knocked on it. Sure enough, a few seconds later, 574 opened the door once more.

"What part of-… Oh! It's our comrade Hank! I did not expect seeing you here. You wanted something in particular or...?

Hank blinked after being shouted at, but regained his confidence once more. "Sorry to bother you 574, but I was just wondering…what exactly are you and Aaron doing in there?"

A loud sound could be heard from the room, almost as if someone was kicking a sandbag. Although Hank tried to twist his head to see, 574 blocked his view.

"That's for me to know, Wimbleton, and you to speculate about." he said evenly. "Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I've got shit to do."

Realizing that he was sticking his head in the wrong places, Hank sighed. It seemed as though he wouldn't be finding the answer to his question anytime soon.

"… Right. Sorry about that then. I'll go now." Hank apologized.

"Mmmhmm. Remember, you've got to be at the Chamber at 19:00, da?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now if you excuse me, I must continue with my business."

And with that, 574 slammed the door shut.

Shaking his head, Hank began walking back to his room. It seemed as though he wasted his time for nothing.

"You hit like a bitch! Hit harder, Aaron!" 574's Russian-accented (at the moment) voice carried through the air..

Hank clenched his fists. He couldn't let his curiosity get the better of him, he had to just _relax._ Squadmaster's Orders.

* * *

The first thing Hank could think of when entering his room was a shower. Of course, Nikolai still apparently was not there. He seemed to be quite busy, nowadays.

After taking a relaxing wash, Hank returned outside, searching for a spare set of clothes to wear. Once he found some, he immediately clothed himself and walked over to his bed, sitting down on it and swinging his legs upwards.

Sighing, Hank stared up at the ceiling. He was unbelievably tired lately thanks to 574's training regiment, yet he wished he could spend his time more wisely instead of just sleeping.

Hank turned to his bedside and looked at the little digital clock beside him.

_3:27_.

Okay, he supposed he could just sleep for maybe an hour or two and wake up to explore a bit more of the Agency. Just to have a relaxing walk during stressful times. Then, he could be all set for the match, more ready than he could ever be.

Exhaling deeply, Hank smiled.

Yeah…everything was gonna be all right…

* * *

Hank slowly opened his eyes. Stretching with a yawn, he let his vision slowly readjust back to reality. Fortunately, this was one of those naps where he didn't have to worry about a nightmare eating him away.

Nodding to himself, Hank grinned. He had no idea what time it was as of now, but what did it matter? There's no way he would sleep _that_ late.

Hank began turning his head to the side to check the clock just for safe measures. Right... he'd go for the walk, maybe even buy a thing or two here and there with what little Credits he accumulated over the time he spent in the Agency, and-

_**… It was 6:49.**_

_Oh, holy_ _titfuck._

Hank literally flew out of the bed in alarm. As fast as he could, he brushed his teeth and fixed his hair. Once done he turned once more to the clock.

_**6:52.**_

"HOLY SHIT!" Hank yelled out in horror. He had to be with the team by seven!

Running out of his room, Hank tried his best to evade the incoming agents in his way. He had been sprinting so fast that he'd almost knocked over everyone he'd met in the hallway over the past few minutes. As he ran, Hank felt his head grow a bit woozy from being so forcefully awakened.

For a few seconds, Hank hesitantly looked at the elevator. He then shook his head and continued running for the stairs. Waiting for the elevator stopping at each floor would take too long; he had only a few minutes left until it would be too late!

* * *

"Mikhail, you have only a minute left until all the members of your squad must be registered." Shane advised.

"I know, I know, Shane... goddamnit. Hank's the only member left on my team that I'm waiting for." 574 replied as he stared at the clock with a foot tapping the ground in impatience and agitation.

"If Hank isn't here by the time that clock strikes seven, then I'm going to have to disqualify your squadron and give Hydra Squadron the win. Unless you have someone else to replace your open slot." Shane warned.

"Just give the lad a minute, I'm more than certain he'll be here any moment now." 574 reasoned.

Shane sighed. "You better hope so, Mikhail."

Behind 574 were the rest of Hank's squadmates: Eli, DJ, Hina, Aaron, and Ryder. They too were worried about whether or not their comrade would make it in time.

However, just before the clock could beat Hank to the punch, the trainee flew into the room, almost tripping and crashing on his way.

"Fuck, sorry, I'm late! I overslept!" Hank apologized hastily.

574 turned to the clock, just as the long hand hit seven. He shook his head.

"No, comrade, you're just in time. Sign in and register for the match. The whole team has to do so, otherwise we lose the match by default."

Complying, Hank quickly jotted his John Hancock the last signature line on the paper in front of him. It seemed as though the other team had already done so.

"Right. Now then, I want each and every single one of you to go to the locker rooms and start changing into these:"

574 tossed each member of the squad a shirt and a pair of pants. The clothing was all black with no illustrations on either side.

"What's all this?" Hina asked.

"These are apparently your group clothes. You wear them during competitions to just show your colors. Since we've never actually had the time to work on our group logo and such, we're stuck with these. But that's to worry about for later; get changing. You've only got ten to fifteen minutes until the round begins." 574 told them.

* * *

Hank walked with the others into the locker room. Of course, Hina was the only one temporarily absent from the group, since the locker rooms weren't unisex. So instead, Hank was stuck with DJ, Aaron, Ryder, and Eli.

Hank walked up to one locker. He had no lock, but it seemed as though he didn't need one. There was some kind of electronic keypad attached to where the lock-holder should have been. The first nine keys were gray, while the last two were red and green. Hank remembered he used the locker room before, but they must've apparently upgraded the system. He didn't even realize that these special lockers were here all this time.

"How do you work this thing?" Hank asked the others.

Eli was the first to approach him.

"First of all, put your stuff inside." Eli began instructions him.

Doing so, Hank took off all his clothes except for his undergarments. As Eli closed the door for him, he quickly wore his shirt and pants.

Eli turned to Hank. "Now then, each key is just basically a number itself. The first one on the farthest top-left is one, on that key's right is two, after that is three, down there is four; you get the point. The green key is to confirm your passcode while the red is to delete the number from before. Your passcode is five numbers long, so it shouldn't be hard to memorize."

Hank entered his code. He thought for a minute, but entered the first four numbers that would come to his head:

_**21902.**_

Pressing the green button, the keypad accepted his combination. When it asked for him to retype it in case of any mistyped numbers, Hank did so. The light on the locker turned from green to red.

Eli pointed to this. "The light shows whether or not someone is using the locker. If it's red, it's occupied, and if it's green, you're free to use it."

Hank nodded; understanding Eli perfectly. "Thanks."

Returning back the nod, Eli went to his locker once more. During this tutorial however, the conflict around him had gone seeming unpercieved.

**"What the Hell is up with you lately!?"**

This was followed by a locker door being slammed. Hank sighed.

Looks like Aaron had finally snapped…

Ryder smirked at his brother, leaning on his locker carelessly.

"I thought you weren't going to talk to me anymore?"

Gritting his teeth, Aaron began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I wasn't! Until you just had to fucking start all this shit up again! Listen, it wasn't my or Hank's fault we're in this situation! Aidan just jumped us! That's all!"

"Well maybe if you could just take care of yourself and stop being everyone's man-whore, then I could be relaxing back in my quarters and didn't have to worry about a thing. But _**no.**_ I just had to lug you around and make more weight for me to carry." Ryder spat.

"Just shut the Hell up! All you've done is make me feel like complete shit lately, and you've never even supported me _once_ all this time!" Aaron barked back.

Ryder looked up at his brother; a bit annoyed now.

_**"Maybe you are just crap."**_

A noticeable shift in Aaron's facial expression took place. But instead of turning angrier, it seemed to soften... almost as if becoming submissive.

"Oh my God…can you guys just please shut the fuck up? My eardrums are going to burst if this keeps up." DJ begged.

"Hey lizard-boy; mind your own business, will you? I don't need your personal opinion." Ryder said.

**"Stop calling me shit like that, Ryder. Before I snap you like a fucking toothpick."** DJ growled.

Ryder turned to Eli. "And you, Jigsaw? You got a say in this? I remember your mashed potatoes didn't quite give me the message before."

Hank silently pressed a hand to his face. What the Hell was Ryder trying to accomplish with all this?

Frowning, Eli turned to the teenager. "Yeah, listen to DJ for once. Shut your mouth or I'll stick my foot so far up your ass, my toes will replace your teeth."

Ryder chuckled slightly. "I'd love to see you try."

Hank rammed his head into the locker lightly. Once more, the small insult-fest had kindled into a fiery argument not only at Ryder, but also at each other.

And Hank was starting to lose his patience.

"Don't try to act tough with that arm of yours. I bet you're nothing without it."

Almost involuntarily, Hank felt his palms curl up into fists.

_"Stop it…"_ He whispered in a light voice too low for anyone except himself to hear.

"Pfft, you're the one to talk, you hypocrite! As far as I'm concerned, you don't have any superpowers now, don't you?"

"Stop it…" Hank said, a bit louder.

"I don't need any pal. But I suppose I can use those scales of yours for good use; as a fine coat."

**"Stop it."**

"Yeah, you'll get these scales the day you finally keep your mouth shut. Which will probably be never."

**"STOP IT."**

"Oh really? Well then, what about-"

It was time to end this. Hank slammed his locker shut with a clang and roared, **"ENOUGH!"**

The flared debate froze when Hank had raised his voice. Quite frankly, everyone else had almost forgotten he was even in the room in the first place.

"All of you motherfuckers, shut your goddam mouths! Who are you supposed to be fighting against!? Yourselves or them!?" Hank yelled.

Dead silence.

"All I've heard from day one is bitching, bitching, bitching, from all of you! How the hell can we call ourselves a team if we can't even stand each other for more than fifteen seconds?!"

"But Ryder-" Aaron began.

**"NO!" **

Aaron cringed at Hank's tone of voice. Seeing easily the quietest member of the team suddenly snap like that was almost horrifying to the rest of them.

Hank sighed, then took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

He needed to bring them together, not to make things worse.

"…Listen. We're a team, alright? Whether you like it or not. And right now, I'm not liking it that much from how you guys are acting. Forget about yourselves for once, forget about your goddamn image. 574 is counting on us and our futures are on the line. These next few battles may be the difference between becoming the janitors of this place, or legit agents."

The silence gave him the signal to proceed.

"We need to work together. Otherwise, there is no hope in defeating the Black Snake Squadron, or even the Hydra Squadron. Then, 574 is going to look like the fool, and we're to blame. He doesn't deserve that. Plus, Aidan and his gang will still come and harass us because they'll know they're better than us. That we're the man-whores, not just Aaron, you, me, or anyone else in this goddamn place."

Hank walked towards the others, who had given him their full attention since his initial shout.

"We're not just some kids, and we definitely don't take bull from anyone. **We are the Accelerated Course.** And we'll fly by all these other fuckers before they can turn their heads and gasp."

Hank placed his hand in the middle of them.

"So come on now. Let's show them what we're made of. We're a team, right, comrades?"

The rest of the team all stared for a few seconds at this gesture, a bit hesitant to join due to how corny it all seemed. But before Hank could pull away from them and give up all hope, Aaron placed his hand over Hank's.

"Yeah."

Then Eli…

"Right."

Then DJ, a grin spreading over his face…

"Let's blast these fuckers right off the map."

And lastly was Ryder himself. The others turned to him, hoping that he would at least have the decency to join in.

Shaking his head slowly, he finally gave in.

"I guess you guys are hopeless without me."

… Meh, good enough.

Finally pulling back, Hank nodded.

_**"Let's go."**_

* * *

After exiting the changing rooms, the five of them joined up with Hina and quickly headed to join 574. Sure enough, the Hydra Squadron had already been waiting for them all this time in the Chamber, while Shane and 574 stood outside. Alongside them were Felix and Darius working on the side of the machine, and a small crowd of agents who had joined in on the fight due to the lack of anything else to do."

"You guys sure took your sweet time. What took you so long?" Shane asked.

Hank grinned. "Ah, nothing. We had some minor discrepancies."

"But-"

"Shane."

The engineer turned to the mentor, who seemed to be happy by this for some reason.

"They've said enough. Just send us in, and let's get this over with."

Nodding, Shane started up the second set of pods that awaited the group. Suddenly his head shot up.

"Oh right; almost forgot. You guys still don't have a group name. I can't send you in there as the 'UNDEFINED Squadron'. Unless you all wish to embarrass yourselves for the rest of your careers."

574 whacked himself. "Shit, I'd forgotten all about that. We'll just have to make it up as we go along."

Once they were all in agreement, the group thought and thought. Unfortunately they only had a few seconds remaining, so they had no choice but to make a split-second decision.

Hank's head shot up suddenly, snapping his fingers to gain everyone's attention.

**"I got it."**

* * *

After immediately being sent into the Chamber, Hank and the others began examining their surroundings. Much like the "Triple Towers" map, there were two towers that met face-to-face with each other in the symmetrical map. However, there was an underground bunker that added to the whole thing/

574 twisted his lip. "Well, that's not good. Looks like the system gave us _'Sniper Towers'_ . A word of advice to all of you before we start: don't run like an idiot, if you don't want to have your heads popped like balloons."

Taking this advice into their heads, the squad looked up to the giant red screen that once again hovered over them.

* * *

_[PROCTORS: AGENT 574 , ZAYDEN]_

_ [ENGINEER(S): SHANE, FELIX, DARIUS]_

_ [PLAYERS ON SQUADRON A: LUCAS, DEVIN, ADRIAN, FABIAN, RHETT, OTTO ZAYDEN]_

_ [PLAYERS ON SQUADRON B: HANK, AARON, RYDER, DJ, ELI, HINA, 574]_

* * *

…And on the very top, the new team name of the Accelerated Course. The name that would be known throughout the Agency, the stuff of future legends.

* * *

_**[HYDRA SQUDRON VS. MADNESS COMBAT SQUADRON]**_

* * *

Hank grinned as the group name appeared on the screen.. Somehow, it just fit. And somehow, it just sounded and looked so badass when read out loud from the board.

574 laughed in both excitement and contentedness. "Now all we need is a catchy slogan…"

Hitting Shane's head like a bullet, he sent a message to 574 personally.

_"How about this:_** 'No regrets, no remorse, no reason. Only Madness.'**_ How's that?"_

574 nodded, a smile creasing his face as he savored the chilling slogan. Yes…it was perfect. Almost destined for his group.

Picking up his weapons as they appeared on his feet, 574 prepared his arsenal for battle.

"Lock and load, comrades. We're going to make some motherfucking bodies hit the motherfucking floor."

The group smirked at this, and the bell rang.

**The first match to the final battle with Aidan and the others.**

Hank raised his rifle.

_**"Let's kick some ass."**_

_** [MATCH INITIATED]**_

* * *

One man amidst the crowd stared at this without amusement. While the others seemed fascinated as to what the legendary 574 could teach in a matter of two weeks to a bunch of green recruits, the man who stared at this fight was not as happy.

Walking over to Shane, he began:

"I apologize for being a bother as of now, but do you mind if I could see the recorded tape of 574's group two weeks earlier from now? I would appreciate it if I could borrow it only for an hour or so and return it back to you, Shane."

Narrowing his eyes, Shane slowly turned his head to face the agent.

"…What for?"

"Oh, just to teach my students to follow by example, that's all." The agent simply answered back with an innocent face.

Although Shane knew that something was strangely off, he could not refuse. After all; this was a public tape, so all agents in the Anti-A.A.H.W. had a right to see it.

"…Fine. But just bring it back as soon as you're done, okay?" Shane ordered.

The man nodded. "You have my word."

Pulling out the CD from a nearby rack as his colleagues took care of the Chamber, Shane gave the man who approached him what he wanted. Satisfied, he began to leave. Shane only stared as the agent was leaving the room.

"Aren't you going to stay and watch the fight?" Shane questioned before the tall adult could leave.

The man froze in his tracks; replying to this question with two simple sentences:

"No. I've got more stuff to worry about, and so do you."

As he continued walking out to the exit, he suddenly heard Shane chuckling.

**"You're scared, aren't you?"**

Once again, the man stopped, this time dead-still and -silent.

"You're actually scared that Mikhail and his group are going to beat your ass down when they have the chance now, aren't you? What a laugh, although I don't blame you. Mikhail's group is getting quite stronger at a rapid pace. And you can't do a thing to stop it."

The man clenched the CD in his hand. He restrained himself before he crushed the object into useless pieces of plastic. Instead, he finally exited the room as he opened the door. Until he was intervened one last time by Shane.

"Funny, I never thought you were the worrying type, _**Grayson.**_ But I guess we learn something new every day, don't we?"

Grayson looked over his shoulder and shot a piercing glare that went straight through Shane's skull. Although the others couldn't quite hear them over the clamor of the agents in the room, the effect was shameful enough to the mentor.

Saying nothing as he closed the door behind him, Grayson walked away to his next destination. Shane sighed as he looked back at the panel where the battle had just begun.

**"You better hope you taught those kids something useful Mikhail…"**

* * *

Aidan sat in his room as he watched the television in front of him blare on. He was watching a funny animation instead of training as he was ordered to do by his higher-up.

Laughing slightly at a wild corny joke that had appeared, Aidan almost jumped right out of his clothes when he heard the door fly open. Sure enough, Grayson was there, seemingly upset and furious at his pupil's behavior.

"Why aren't you training?" Grayson asked with malice pure in his voice.

Aidan shrugged. "Hey, I'm just taking a break. We've been at it all day, so the least you can do is not kill us."

Glaring at his student, who was more attentive to the TV rather than his teacher, Grayson stepped in front of the electronic device and pressed the button on it to shut it off manually.

Aidan sprang up from his bed in shock and rage. "The hell was that for, I was watching that!"

Pulling out the CD he had recently acquired, Grayson growled at his squad member.

_**"Watch this, then."**_

Turning the television on once more, Grayson put the CD into the DVD player. Once the recording had begun playing, Aidan watched as his teacher fast-forwarded to certain moments. It seemed as though he had a recording of a squad training in the Holographic Chamber with the "Jungle" map. Unfortunately, thanks to their colored armor covering them from head to toe, Aidan had no idea who was fighting who.

Grayson turned to his trainee after pausing at one point. "What do you think?"

Aidan nodded; clearly impressed. "They've got skills; that's for sure. That's some good tactics."

Grayson frowned at this answer, continually stopping and fast-forwarding the CD at certain points to highlight one fighter's talent in particular. Aidan found his mouth to be hanging open slightly when he saw the fighter's last maneuver: cutting the rope of a bridge to descend down and eliminate the last combatant on the enemy team by slicing his sword straight into his head.

_"Woo! Fuck yeah!"_ the young warrior clad in red yelled after realizing he had won the match.

Aidan blinked; surprised as to how fast things escalated. Who was that guy? And how was he so good?

"What the Hell? That guy just took down a three-man squad like it was nothing!" Aidan said in awe.

Grayson nodded, finally glad that Aidan was getting the point. "Do you think he's good?"

"Hell yeah he is! I'd love to have him on my squad!" Aidan agreed.

"You don't say? How good do you think he is?"

"Fucking awesome! That last move was pure genius! I don't know who this guy is, but he's one Hell of a fighter!"

Grayson turned back to the screen, where the image of the person had frozen in place.

"Well then, let me tell you who exactly this 'guy' is." Grayson offered.

"Tell me!" Aidan impatiently pushed forwards.

Grayson looked at Aidan expressionlessly.

**"This is Hank J. Wimbleton. And the others are his squad, the Accelerated Course."**

Aidan's optimistic and excited smile had melted away in the space of a second. He stared in the distance for a few seconds and shook his head slowly.

"You're…you're fucking with me, aren't you? You're just trying to scare me into training again, right? There's no way _that_ kid and those others are the Accelerated Course!"

"Do I look like the type of person who likes to fuck around, Aidan?" Grayson asked him, his voice harsh. "You're also wrong about one other thing: they're no longer known only as the 'Accelerated Course'. That's apparently the _**Madness Combat Squadron.**_ And they're in the Holographic Chamber right now. fighting the Hydra Squadron."

Aidan rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? The Hydra Squadron? How did they do?"

"I'm not sure, I left as soon as the battle started to show you this."

"Well in that case, even if they win, so what? Our team squashed the Hydra Squadron like bugs." Aidan bragged.

Hearing this from his top pupil, Grayson gritted his teeth.

"**No you dunce! Don't you understand; they're getting stronger by the minute! I don't know what exactly that fool Mikhail was teaching those fuckers in the past few weeks, but whatever it is, it's clearly working! They're getting too strong too fast, and it's only been half a month! Imagine what kind of skill they'll possess by the time we have to fight them! So stop being so goddamn overconfident of yourself and LISTEN TO ME!"** Grayson shouted the last few words at the top of his lungs.

Aidan backed away a bit from Grayson. Sure his teacher had anger-management issues, but he has never seen him this furious before.

Exhaling deeply to calm himself down before anyone outside would notice, Grayson began in a slow whisper.

**"I. Am. Not. Going. To Lose. Against Mikhail Nikitin. IF we do, and God help you if that happens, we won't be the best anymore. We'll become the laughingstocks of this place for losing against a group of fucking teenagers. You and your squadron are **_**field agents**_**. Mikhail's squad is only a bunch of trainees. There is absolutely no reason as to why we would lose this fight. Once the 'Madness Combat Squadron' finished it's match with the Hydra Squadron, we are going to train for the next **_**FIVE HOURS **_**in the Chamber, whether you like it or not. So hurry up and warn the others; we need all the time we can get."** Grayson stated, cold and firm.

Aidan gulped, hesitant about such strict orders from his mentor.

_**"NOW!" **_

Running out of the room, Aidan hurried away before getting yelled at once more, or possibly worse. While he dashed off to find his comrades, Grayson slowly turned to the single standing figure in the TV next to him.

"_Hank J. Wimbleton. I don't know who or what you are, but mark my words…__**I will not let you win this fight."**_

Pulling out the CD to return to Shane as promised, Grayson walked off, leaving the blare of the forgotten television on in the dark room.

* * *

**First and foremost, I'd like to deeply apologize for the delay on the chapter. This was caused by a combination of school problems and procrastination. I was going to finish this up as a sort of Memorial Day special, but... yeah. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. If you've got anything to say, good or bad, message me here or on Facebook. Once again, deepest of apologies for the delay on the chapter and as always, have a nice day.**

** – Sacrom574**

* * *

**A/N**: Right, so once again, that was Sacrom's part of this Author's Note. Well, I don't blame him and neither should you. We're both in our testing stages as of now, so it's not easy getting shit done.

Now then, you guys must be thinking; "WTF? 13,000-word chapter!? Why!?" Well, this was actually done on purpose. You see, as I said before, me and Sacrom are in our testing stages, so we need all the free time we can get. This basically means my updates are going to be quite slow until the end of the school year. In addition to this, I shamefully admit that I haven't planned out the plotline any further than this. Therefore, in order to avoid fillers, I've decided to take a break until summer vacation starts.

So, in a sense, count this chapter as a mini-season finale for now. Don't worry; it'll start up again soon once my big tests are done and I can finally relax. I just hope that this was certainly long enough to satisfy you guys until then.

Okay, let's get to Reviewers' Credits:

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

**DodgeStreaker:** Hey, it's been a while, and thanks for the review! Yeah; the "Dick-Biscuit" part was one of my favorite parts too, so I'm glad someone else also appealed to it. :P

Thanks for the review!

* * *

**The Dark Madness Dragon: **Heh, thanks man! We appreciate it! We've definitely gotten quite far with our story, and we're proud to hear it. Sacrom is my right-hand man after all with these things, so I'm really grateful for all the things he's doing for me. :)

Thanks for the review bro, and lol. Shitdicks...that's a good one. Wish I could've added that into the story earlier... XD

* * *

**SirPolarBear:** Thank you Billy! It's nice to see someone with success on their own Madness Combat fanfic support this story! Really motivating! ^^

And hey no problem. It's the least I could do for a good friend. :)

P.S. I see Dick-Biscuit is now officially the hot-topic here, lol.

* * *

**CowBow50:** Thanks dude! It's one of my favorite ideas personally, and that's actually brilliant! I'll definitely use that, so thanks man! I appreciate it!

* * *

Now O.C. Credits:

* * *

**_O.C. Credits:_**

**_Agent 574/Mikhail Nikitin _**by **_Sacrom574_**

**_Shane and Corey T. Niner _**by **_DodgeStreaker_**

**_Eli and Hina_** by **_Kagami_**

**_DJ Anderson_** by **_The Dark Madness Dragon_**

* * *

And that's all. Thank you all for being so patient; these past few months had been hard for me dealing with school and such. It's really warming to see people still showing their support after so long. And hopefully, it will stay that way for the long road still ahead of us.

By the way, if you're wondering whether or not Hank's locker-code had significance, **_it_**_ **does.**_ Obviously, none of you had realized this (since it is a random fact just chucked into the storyline), but the numbers **21902** represent the date where Krinkels had uploaded his first Madness Combat animation: Marshmellow Madness (February 19th, 2002). So just wanted you guys to realize numbers/dates especially in this story will have a lot of significance.

Oh, almost forgot; by the way guys, Gibb50 (whom is CowBow50) on Newgrounds drew this really cool picture of Agent 574 on his NG page! Sacrom and I really liked it, so hopefully you'll check that out too when you have the time. ^^

*Sigh*...well. Fuck. I have a lot of work to do now, so I guess I might as well end it here. Next chapter will take a while to come up, so please don't give up on this story yet! Not when it's at one of it's highest moments! I promise to finish this story just like Final Salvation, so just you wait! It's not going to end here; no way!

And finally, a Special Thanks to DodgeStreaker, whom had helped me to get the file for this chapter for you guys, as well as Sacrom for editing it. Cannot express my gratitude for the two of them enough.

See you later guys, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy! Remember, the adventure is just beginning! :)

~Spirit9871


	21. The First Of Many Battles

Chapter 21: The First of Many Battles

* * *

"Hina, you take the tower. Nobody comes closer than twenty feet to the base. Hank, Aaron and DJ – take the underground route. Ryder, you're coming with me. Eli, cover Hina."

Almost immediately, the team dispersed according to 574's orders. The layout was simple and well-organized, but if one part were to fail the rest would quickly follow in its wake. 574 was willing enough to take the risk, trusting each squadmate to do his or her job.

Both squadrons had gone into offensive immediately, and virtual laser beams soon took to flying overhead. They weren't part of any skirmishes yet, but if the enemy thought the same way they did they'd have trouble on their hands in no time.

Already at the halfway point of the long, narrow passageway Aaron lowered his sniper rifle – and his guard. Almost immediately DJ scolded his partner, leading his comrades at the front while Hank made sure nobody tried to take them from behind.

"Aaron, keep your composure! Any second now all hell could break loose!"

Aaron sighed. "You always have to look at the shitty side of things, don'tcha? Relax, we haven't met anyone so far. How about we charge in and take the motherfucker from behind? They'll be easy pickings!"

"No, god dammit! We're gonna get ourselves killed if we do that! Take defensive and shut your mouth before we get shot!" DJ retorted in an angry whisper.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Bitch, please, you're not 574. I can do whatever the hell I want!"

_Click._

Hank's eyes widened. "GET DOWN!"

Shoving Aaron to the ground and following soon after, he managed to get them both to evade a laser beam which would have otherwise gone straight through Aaron's avatar's virtual head. Unfortunately, however, the same beam had caught DJ in the leg and he fell back as it went numb. It wasn't enough to kill him, but now he was immobile.

"_Damn, I missed that fucker._" The Hydra squadron agent who had made the shot muttered as he slapped a fresh clip into his weapon.

His compatriot broke into a nasty grin.

"_Good. Then he's mine._"

Before the conversation could continue any further, DJ made a split-second choice and pulled out the only other weapon issued to him besides the sword and the sniper rifle – his shotgun. Firing an unexpected burst in the direction of the nearest targets (one of which had wounded him), he managed to push back the Hydra pair's attack.

The lasers fired lit up the corridor for only a few moments, but the generated light was more than enough to demonstrate to Hank and his squadmates who they were up against – two Hydra agents.

Retreating slightly, one of them chuckled slightly. "Look at that, we've got a feisty one on our hands."

The second nodded in agreement. "The lively ones are the most fun to kill."

DJ immediately grabbed his Defibrillator and got to work with his leg. As his wounded limb slowly regained feeling and restored mobility, Aaron and Hank pulled out their swords for some close-quarters combat. Their Hydra squadron rivals followed suite – they were enemies, but etiquette was etiquette.

The sound of laser swords clashing against each other echoed in the tunnel, each moment of impact yielding fizzing energy. Bringing his head close to Hank's, his enemy smirked.

"_**Show me what you got, kid.**_"

As the words flashed through Hank's brain, he felt his body's adrenaline go on overdrive. Shoving away at his opponent, he continued the fight with blocks and slashes and parries. DJ could only stand and watch in awe at the confrontation, which went on way too fast for him to join.

Eventually. Hank made a mistake from his constant offensive. As he sent a jab too long-ranged for him to pull back fast enough, his enemy saw the opportunity to easily knock the sword out of his hand by slashing at his wrist. Hank could only watch as the weapon in his hand fell uselessly to the ground.

Having disarmed Hank, the Hydra squadron agent went to put his sword into Hank's head. The latter could only stumble backwards to avoid certain elimination. He closed his eyes in preparation for the blow…

… **Which never came.**

When Hank opened his eyes, he found Aaron had managed to block the incoming attack with his own sword and take a jab through the chest from his opponent's.

* * *

_[AGENT ADRIAN ELIMINATED AGENT AARON (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

"Tch, little bastard blocked my shot." Hank's opposition muttered. Stepping back for another swing, he grinned.

_**"That doesn't really change anything though."**_

Before anyone could do anything else, Aaron shouted suddenly.

"**DJ, NOW!**"

Almost as if he could read his partner's thoughts, DJ pumped his special arm back to give it a change to release some power.

"W-what the hell? His arm… it's growing in mass!" The other Hydra combatant, Adrian, yelled in shock.

DJ sent his fist forwards, blasting away everyone nearby to several feet away. With what little time he had left to act, Hank had managed to get away from the attack's range before being blown forwards himself.

All of a sudden, the passageway began to collapse. DJ grabbed onto Hank's arm, and the two sped off to the passageway's entrance as pieces of it began to crumble around them. The same could not be said for the pair of Hydra squadron members, who had been left to be buried alive.

* * *

_[AGENT DJ ELIMINATED AGENT ADRIAN (?)]_

_[AGENT DJ ELIMINATED AGENT OTTO (?)]_

* * *

Watching the battle unfold before him, Shane scratched his head. Of course the system couldn't detect why the two Hydra kids had been eliminated, he'd never figured he'd need to put 'buried alive' as a cause of death. He sighed.

It appeared that Corey hadn't lied – his machines _were_ flawed after all…

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the arena DJ had managed to drag Hank out of certain doom in the knick of time. Blinking, Hank shook his head several times to get a hold of his senses. He frowned.

"Aw, shit."

DJ sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, Aaron's out. For good, at least in this round. There's no way in hell we can dig him out of this huge of a mess…"

Nodding, Hank quickly got to his feet. He shook his head in shock.

_When in the hell did Aaron learn how to fight like that?_

Still at the front of their base, Eli ran up to his two comrades who had escaped the unexpected cave-in. "What the hell happened in there?"

"DJ did one of those… what the hell were they called, Power Fists? Yeah, he basically used that to blast away the two of those guys. We lost Aaron to it too, though, and he isn't getting out of that dirt pile until Shane takes him out of the game." Hank explained.

Before any more words could be spoken between the three of them, a laser beam hit the wall beside them. Turning to its point of origin, they caught sight of 574 and Ryder. The two had been holding off the enemy line all alone.

"As much as I'd fancy joining your little tea party, lads, I would really appreciate it if at least one of you could give me a hand or something. Fighting three field agents in one sitting isn't as much of a cakewalk as you think, even for me." 574 said casually, in the midst of the firefight.

DJ and Hank rushed to assist him and Ryder in their defense as Eli hurried back to his position covering Hina. They barely had time to duck as another wave of gunfire flew over their heads.

"Don't get too cocky; these guys are field agents, just like the Black Snake Squadron. They're not as advanced as them, but they still mean trouble. Let them exploit one wrong move, and you're dead." 574 said with a firm stand.

Nodding, the three of them kept their ground behind cover; shooting a few bullets here and there periodically to push back enemy forces.

This tactic lead both sides in stalemate for about five minutes. It wasn't until one of the agents from the Hydra Squadron had finally lost their patience that any progress was made.

"Grah! I can't take this anymore! I have to go take a shit, so let's get this over with!" one of them yelled.

"Rhett, shut up and take your position! You won't last a minute in No Man's Land!" his partner scolded him with.

Completely ignoring his comrade's words, Rhett summoned his laser sword for a violent attack. "Fuck it!"

Suddenly, he jumped over the Hydra Squadron's line of cover; charging like a madman towards 574 and the others. He was agile and very quick at dodging bullets, making him an incredibly challenging target to hit.

Somehow making it to their line of cover, he jumped over to make a swing straight at all of their heads. Before Hank, DJ, or 574 could even think of some kind of counter-attack maneuver, Rhett flipped violently onto his back as a bullet blasted straight through his head. Although Hank and DJ were still confused as to what just happened, 574 grinned.

"Boom headshot! Perfect Hina!"

* * *

_[AGENT HINA ELIMINATED AGENT RHETT (SNIPER RIFLE CS-YIPPIEKIYAY)]_

* * *

DJ scratched the back of his head in awe. "Damn. I have to admit; that was a pretty accurate shot."

"You bet your ass it is! Now come on! Only four more to go!" 574 shouted enthusiastically. Out of everyone else in the arena, it seemed as though the Russian was having the most fun...

On the other side however, the Hydra Squadron was in a state of awe and panic. Three of their teammates are gone, and they had only managed to take out one of 574's students. Even if they won at this state, they would become laughing-stocks just for struggling against agents that haven't even been out on the field _once_.

Gritting his teeth, the member of the Hydra Squadron that had tried to warn Rhett to take a more cautious method of assault frowned. "Fucking...incredible! It's almost as if the kid just WANTS us to get humiliated!"

Saying nothing, the teammate next to him broke into a nasty grin.

_**"Ya wanna see something real interesting, Lucas?"**_

This odd change of tone somehow made the originally-infuriated agent, amused and a bit hopeful.

"What do you mean, Fabian?" Lucas questioned.

Fabian pointed towards their own sniper tower. "There's a certain trick to these maps. Most of them are perfectly symmetrical; including this one, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"All I gotta do is get up there, just shoot straight, and that sniper 574's got over there will have a bullet straight through her brain. Then, you guys rush in like a wave and fuck 'em up."

Lucas stared at the floor for a few seconds. That actually wasn't such a bad idea. Chuckling, he nodded.

"All right. Do what you gotta do. Me and Zayden will hold the fort down here."

With that, Fabian went into a sprint towards the elevator that would lift him into higher-grounds. Eventually, since the Madness Combat Squadron was too focused on the battle at hand rather than the tactics Hydra Squadron was planning behind their backs, 574 never realized what was going on until Fabian had reached his destination.

Eyes widening, 574 stopped his firing and swung around to caution the sniper of his team.

**"Hina! Take cover!"**

But the warning had come too little too late. The bullet was already air-borne before 574 could even react. He could only helplessly watch as the projectile blasted straight through her skull and instantly took her down.

* * *

_[AGENT FABIAN ELIMINATED AGENT HINA (SNIPER RIFLE CS-YIPPIEKIYAY)]_

* * *

574 smacked his fist on the wall he took cover behind with Hank and DJ. "Damn it!"

Immediately after this moment of sudden-death, the Hydra Squadron charged like a wave towards the Madness Combat Squadron's line of territory. Even though it was four on two, with someone like Zayden and Lucas to go against, things might be a bit too risky to go for. Sensing this, 574 turned to the others with a back-up plan.

"All right, change of plans! I don't have much time to explain, but just follow my lead! Hank; you take over as sniper in Hina's place! DJ, Eli; you stay with Hank at fort for your comrade to establish some defenses for us! I'll take down Hydra Squadron's sniper with Ryder! Let's move it people!"

Without a second of hesitation, everyone went to their designated positions. Hank and Eli passed each other as they went in the opposite directions. He quickly pointed to the elevator switch to save Hank the time of hassle. Pressing it, Hank watched as the elevator pad descended down to his level, and went back up as he climbed on.

Once he was in the tower, the first thing Hank saw was Hina's body...or what was left of it. Her head was seemingly gone thanks to the bullet that blasted right through her. Hank immediately knew that healing her would prove ineffective, but...God...was that even possible in this place!?

As soon as he finished analyzing the rest of the strange area, he felt yet another bullet fly by past him. Hank followed his instincts by ducking instantly after the shot had made contact with the wall behind him. He didn't dare stick his head back up, or risk suffering the same fate Hina did.

Hank pulled out his sniper rifle. Okay. He could just get rid of the fucker on the other end of the map, avenge Hina, and make things easier for the rest of the team.

Loud gunfire could be heard and the giant red screen levitating in the sky sent out a new message:

* * *

_[AGENT ZAYDEN ELIMINATED AGENT DJ (SHOTGUN-CO1S)]_

* * *

Holy shit, they move fast.

Looking back down, he tried finding the ammunition he needed to reload his weapon. But after a few seconds of endless searching, his head finally accepted truth and withdrew denial:

**He lost both his clips.**

* * *

_[AGENT ZAYDEN ELIMINATED AGENT RYDER (SHOTGUN CO1S]_

* * *

Hank shook his head. Oh titfuck; this was a problem. He must've dropped them somewhere in the underground trench or somewhere up above. Either way, there was no way in Hell he'd be able to reach them without getting shot or sliced.

* * *

_[AGENT LUCAS ELIMINATED AGENT ELI (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

**FUCK, FUCK, FUCK.**

When all hope seemed lost, a sudden thought had passed through Hank's head that could save his digital life.

_Hina had a clip._

* * *

To Lucas, it was a joke. Without Hina, the group had collapsed in practically a blink of an eye. It was embarassing to have to spend so much effort into his foes and disappointing to know this was the best he was up against.

Immediately, he saw Eli charge at him with his sword.

_"...If that's how he wants to play, then fine. Be my motherfucking guest."_ Lucas merely thought to himself as he pulled out his own melee weapon.

Lucas blocked a violent swing towards his side, and rammed his body into Eli. This force of momentum had managed to stun the trainee for a bit, but he quickly countered a slice to his head. Eli took a few leaps back to make some space between him and Lucas; running back in with multiple attacking maneuvers. However, Lucas simply parried back and forth; already experienced with this type of assault from the A.A.H.W. members that were too unfortunate to cross his group during a mission.

Eventually, he grew tired of this game, and simply did a sudden sweep with his leg to knock Eli off his footing. This proving successful, Eli felt his back hit the terrain and could only watch as Lucas's sword went down for a jab to his stomach.

After deactivating his enemy, Lucas looked at the red screen that showed he had done his deed. Smirking in approval, he realized that aside from 574, there was only one member of the Madness Combat Squadron left.

Lucas quickly looked around him and noticed the elevator pad all ready at the tower. He grinned.

_Time to make a special entrance..._

* * *

More bullets from Fabian flew over Hank's head. Hank struggled as he scavenged Hina's deactivated avatar for the ammunition he needed. However, just as he found it, he heard a low hum go off behind him.

In a split-second, Hank turned around and saw Lucas pull out his shotgun.

_**"You're dead meat now!"**_ he yelled as he fired.

Hank however, pulled out his sniper rifle and managed to lay on his back as he faced Lucas. As the bullets sprayed from his weapon, Hank quickly slapped the clip into his gun and fired.

Lucas stared for a few seconds as to what just happened, until he realized Hank's bullet had punctured through his stomach. As the elevator went back down, Lucas held his abdomen and frowned.

"You've...got to be shittin' me..." he muttered as he fell back down to the bottom of the tower.

After the sound of a body making impact with concrete reached his ears, Hank looked to the red monitor in the sky as he reloaded his weapon just in case.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT LUCAS (SNIPER RIFLE CS-YIPPIEKIYAY)]_

* * *

Then, to his surprise, a second line:

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT FABIAN (SNIPER RIFLE SHOTGUN-CO1S)]_

* * *

A sigh of relief followed from the young fighter. Now, he could at least relax without worrying about getting shot by Fabian, or-

_**THUMP.**_

Hank jolted at the sudden noise. It was almost as if someone had just landed on the roof of the tower. Being cautious, and remembering that only the squad-leader of Hydra Squadron still remained, Hank raised his sniper rifle. An eerie silence followed, which made Hank begin to wish 574 was actually here with him instead of all the way across the map. Somehow, this game had become more to him, almost as if he was playing for his own life, since so many people outside the Chamber were watching him now.

Suddenly, before he could even react, part of the ceiling above him collapsed; giving way as a figure had seemingly fallen in front of him. Before Hank could fire again though, the man had kicked away his weapon.

Once Hank had slowly snapped out of adrenaline, he began to analyze his enemy as he realized his fears had been recognized.

_Squadmaster Zayden was standing right in front of him. _

When Hank's head finally processed what was going on, he tried standing up to at least defend himself or back away in what would seem like his certain doom. However, this idea proved ineffective as he realized one of the rouge bullets from Lucas's gunfire had made its way into his leg. It seemed as though escape or retaliation were no longer options.

"Well, I have to admit, you certainly do have talent..." Zayden began.

He then pulled out his shotgun and placed it at point-blank range at Hank's head.

_"...But you still have a lot to learn if you want to be a pro."_

Hank sighed and looked down to the ground in shame. Well...fuck. After being saved by Aaron, and a close-call with Lucas, it seemed as though his fate would still be inescapable.

A shot being fired could be heard, but strangely enough, it sounded completely different from the shotgun.

When he looked back up, he realized that Zayden was down on the floor; his head gone just like Hina.

Hank turned around as he knew that the shot must've came from behind him. He squinted his eyes until he clearly saw 574 was in the opposite tower with a sniper rifle at hand.

574 lowered his weapon and began to shout.

"Saved your ass again, it seems! Next time, try _not_ to die while I'm not around, will you, comrade?"

Hank chuckled and slowly shook his head with a small grin on his face. He looked back up to the screen; a warmth of relief and pride swelling into him as the fact that his group had actually won slowly sunk in.

* * *

_[AGENT 574 ELIMINATED AGENT ZAYDEN (SNIPER RIFLE CS-YIPPIEKIYAY)]_

_ [NO OTHER MEMBERS OF HYDRA SQUADRON REMAIN]_

_ [MADNESS COMBAT SQUADRON WINS]_

* * *

Hank stumbled out of the chamber just like in his training routine, only, instead of being met by only Shane, a crowd of people dispersed to give him room. It wasn't until he had felt the fresh air make contact with his skin that he realized how much he was sweating from how intense the battle was.

There was certainly a lot of cheering and clamor from the group. They must've been in awe as to how this group of newly-trained units had managed to somehow dispatch the Hydra Squadron. Sure, they had 574, but that didn't make things any less exciting.

The first person Hank was actually able to meet from his team was Aaron. It seemed he was extremely pleased with the results as he rushed towards him.

"Dude! We totally kicked their asses!" Aaron suddenly began to brag.

Hank sweatdropped as he broke into a nervous grin. He really didn't wish to get on anybody's bad side at the moment.

"Haha…I wouldn't say we _totally_ kicked their asses…" Hank replied.

Aaron rolled his eyes; already catching onto Hank's worried tone. "Oh stop being such a pussy. You know we beat them, and they can't say shit 'bout it."

Before he could protest to this wise-ass remark, 574 had approached him first.

"You did good tonight, comrade. This will make your reputation look a lot better than it was before." He assured.

Hank nodded. "Thanks."

Returning the nod, he noticed Zayden walking up to him. Hank realized that the squadmaster didn't seem mad, but instead, the man seemed almost..._tired_. Like the match had sucked out the enthusiasm straight from his head.  
He glanced down at Hank for a few seconds, made a small nod, and turned to 574.

"Agent." He greeted.

"Zayden." 574 responded in the same manner.

"You've done a great job training those kids back there. Held their grounds, followed orders, supported each other, and most importantly, didn't crack under pressure. Quite frankly, I thought this would be some kind of walk in the park, but it obviously turns out it was the complete opposite. Shouldn't have underestimated you so badly." He admitted.

"Thank you Zayden. I appreciate your words. Hydra Squadron did well. It was maybe just a bad choice of terrain by Shane?" 574 suggested.

"Maybe..." Zayden muttered gloomily, hoping that was the case. Jebus... how long was this humiliating event going to shockwave him for? A few weeks? Months? Hell, even the whole year and years to come? Shit...Either way though, he was certain about one thing:

_**The Madness Combat Squadron had to defeat Black Snake Squadron, or so God help them, they will become the laughingstocks of the Agency for the rest of their careers.**_

"574." He firmly restarted the conversation with. 574 only stared at Zayden, waiting for him to continue.

"You may have defeaten us, but mark our words; we'll be back. So keep training those runts like you did before, and pray the result of all the matches to come will end up like this. And I'm not just talking about Hydra Squadron; I'm talking about all of them. **Especially Black Snake.**"

574 looked down for a short moment; almost as if consumed by his thoughts. Finally processing something in his head, he nodded once more.

"Understood."

Zayden said nothing to this, until he turned around. Before he walked away he stopped momentarily.

_"Good luck. My team is counting on yours."_

574 chuckled, and to Hank's surprise, called out to Zayden.

"Don't think I forgot our: 'little bargain' now, hm?" 574 said in a "matter-of-fact" way.

"Tch." Was the only sound that came out of Zayden's mouth as he rolled his eyes. Pulling out his golden keycard, he tossed it over to 574.

"I'm assuming I can trust you with my card? You only use it to take out 700 Credits, enter my office, and leave it on the nearby desk. If you do otherwise, I promise I will hunt you down for anything you've taken from me, **and more.**" Zayden warned.

Hank felt a small shiver go down his spine when he heard this. Normally, when someone says something like this, they're only exaggerating. But the way the words left Zayden's mouth would've given him the message clearer than it should've been.

Instead though, 574 gave him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry about it Zayden. You know I don't do shit like that."

"You better not, for my sake and your's." Zayden continued to push on his threat as he finally left with his embarrassed team.

Hank and 574 only watched Hydra Squadron leave in silence as the talk amongst agents whom witnessed the battle ensued. There were many positive comments given to Hank's team, while Hydra Squadron was (as expected), ridiculed. But that didn't really matter to either of them; what mattered was that they were getting stronger and certainly a step closer to defeating Grayson and his pupils.

A sudden thought shot straight into Hank's head from what Zayden had said earlier:

* * *

_**"Good luck. My team is counting on yours."**_

* * *

A bit confused by this statement, he decided to ask 574 about it.

"Hey...574?"

"Hm?"

"What exactly did Zayden mean by...by his team counting on us? What do we have to do with this?"

574 frowned as he realized Hank had caught onto this odd sentence as well. Though the trainee may have been younger and a bit more naive to figure it out on his own, 574 already knew why Zayden said that. If the Madness Combat Squadron did not prove themselves worthy of winning that battle, then Hydra Squadron would be dead-last in The Higher Powers's intrests. That could possibly cost them future assignments, or worse: _**their careers themselves.**_ Zayden wasn't trying to win because he just wanted a bunch of credits. He was fighting for the same reason 574 was; his pupils' reputations.

And that can all go down the drain if 574 and the others decide to fuck up.

"Ah...that? It must be nothing; he's probably just wishing the best of luck for us." He suddenly explained.

Hank's facial expression had contorted into one of confusion. It really didn't sound like it, but...would 574 actually lie to him? As far as he could remember, he had never seen the mentor himself do that under normal circumstances.

Deciding to just shrug off the unusual event, he twisted the corner of his lip. "...Okay..."

574 could already hear the doubt in Hank's reply. Realizing he had to change the topic to avoid further suspicion, he pulled out Zayden's keycard.

"You see this Hank?"

"Yeah. That's Squadmaster Zayden's keycard...what about it?"

"We just won 700 Credits. And since there's seven of us, guess how much you get on your part?"

It didn't take Hank long to get to what 574 was saying. With widened eyes, his head had instantly got the answer after simple division.

"100 Credits!? Holy shit!"

574 made a small laugh at Hank's awestruck response. The kid didn't honestly know how much actual field agents were making every mission, huh?

"Believe me; it's not much. If you keep thinking small, I promise you, you'll shit your pants when you see the paycheck they give for people on the field. I'll transfer the Credits to your account later. Right now, I have some business to attend to. So whatever amount of Credits you have right now; use them. Candy bars, some stuff to at least make your room look a bit more appealing after coming back from a tiring assignment or training regime, and a bit more of those pills that got us into this mess in the first place. Anywho, I'm going to have to cut off our little chat here. Gotta do a lot of stuff thanks to this match." 574 suggested, with a bit of irony purposefully placed in his last idea.

A bit interested in the thought, Hank nodded and sent a warm grin to 574.

"All right. Thanks a lot 574! Appreciate it!" he shouted as he ran out of the room.

574 watched him leave with a smile, but took it off as soon as Hank was out of the door.

"You know Shane, it would be much appreciated if you could at least contribute to the conversation, instead of just listening in like some kind of spy." he said as his eyes still stared to his front.

Shane smirked. "You've got quite the keenful eye Mikhail. I just couldn't help myself; sorry."

"No you're not." 574 replied with a chuckle.

A few seconds of silence passed until Shane suddenly spoke up.

"You didn't tell him."

574 sighed. "I...have my reasons."

"Well then, I don't wish to be rude, but care to share those reasons? You do normally come up with interesting ideas here and there, so..." Shane trailed off.

574 looked back up to where Hank once stood a few minutes ago. "He's a good kid, but life dealt him a bad hand. And this whole Grayson-mess wasn't his fault either. I don't need him or anyone else in my group to stress more than they should with the knowledge that if they fail, Hydra Squadron is probably going to fall with them, if not, **harder**."

Shane turned his head to where 574 was facing only momentarily. "Hank's got a good future ahead of him with a good teacher. But I'm assuming Credits are not the only reason why you really want to go with this challenge Grayson came with, huh?"

"Of course. There was a bit of an..._extra part_...to it. After you showed the Higher-Ups our training video, they called me up and decided to strike a deal along with Grayson's."

Shane raised his eyebrows in interest. "And that is...?"

574 crossed his arms. **"We get to go on our first field mission one month after we beat Black Snake."**

Shane looked down and said nothing. He sighed.

"You're really pushing things, aren't ya Mikhail? No need to rush, I mean. They're still young."

"War doesn't wait for anyone Shane. You of all people should know that, since you've been out there before." 574 responded.

"...Time's are changing though Mikhail. Missions are harder than they used to be, before. And it certainly has been a while since I've gone on a team-mission." Shane protested calmly.

574 straightened out his back. "...I'm fully aware of that..."

After this statement, 574 pressed a hand to his forehead to reduce the stress and noise around him. Zayden wasn't the only one suffering at the moment. So many things were happening so fast, that it would seem almost impossible to catch up. But he had to.

_**For the sake of Hank and the others.**_

* * *

A/N: Haa...another chapter done! Sorry for such a long delay; I just took both my regents, AND I PASSED BABY! WOOHOO! They were average grades, but who gives a fuck? I'm done with Freshman shit! And that also means a new chapter every few days!

Anyways, an important announcement before we being the Reviewers' Credits: I'm going to Japan (if I haven't already), this 28th of June. The next chapter will take a little while to put up, but I promise things will certainly go faster. Hell, I'm hoping we'll wrap this thing up before summer break ends and I'll go to my next stories. They'll certainly be as exciting as this one, if not, more.

Bad news though; Sacrom574 (my beta-reader/co-author), will not be able to talk to me since he too is going to Russia. He will not have access to the net, meaning quality of my chapters may possibly go down slightly. So things are certainly going to be a bit shaky for me there.

That's all I gotta say. Let's get going then, shall we?

* * *

_**Reviewers' Credits:**_

* * *

**DodgeStreaker:** Haha, the world may never know...but yeah, I do admit, I did get a small laugh outta myself too when I read that for myself. :P

And XD, sure, why not?

Haha, thanks though Dodge; you're a lifesaver. If it wasn't for her, you guys actually wouldn't be reading Chapter 21 right now, but instead, like 5 days later, so she certainly did make things a whole lot better for all of us!

* * *

**SirPolarBear:** Hey don't sweat it. I'm just glad you liked the chapter and left a review; it means a lot, so thanks. :)

Also, thanks for those kind words! You really know how to motivate a person, dont'cha? Because they certainly helped me write this chapter too!

I hope you liked this as much as you like the last! :D

* * *

**Cowbow50:** Thanks bro! Appreciate it, and to answer your question; not exactly. Hank doesn't have full control of his bullet-time at the moment, so he only knows how to activate it at short bursts. When he reaches that age where he becomes a killer though; that's a whole different story.

Oh, by the way, congrats on the success with Madness Heaven Remix 4 on Newgrounds! It was seriously awesome, and it really made my night! Hope you keep animating dude, and thanks for following this story for so long. I really appreciate it. ^^

* * *

And that's all. Now for the O.C. Credits:

* * *

**_O.C. Credits:_**

**_Agent 574/Mikhail Nikitin _**by **_Sacrom574_**

**_Shane _**by **_DodgeStreaker_**

**_Eli and Hina_** by **_Kagami_**

**_DJ Anderson_** by **_The Dark Madness Dragon_**

* * *

Welp, nothing else to say now, since I said all I had to before Reviewers' Credits. Updates will be coming much more rapidly after this week, so yeah! Next time you hear from me, it'll be from Japan!

I'll see you later and stay tuned for the next chapter! In the meantime though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy! ;)

~Spirit9871


	22. Purpose

Chapter 22: Purpose

* * *

_The final two weeks had managed to pass by in a blink of an eye. Hank and his squad had continued their battles with the other teams, and things had been successful as the Madness Combat squadron was no longer considered the lowest level of the generation._

* * *

Hank fell backwards, freezing as a laser whizzed over his head due to his maneuver. He pushed himself back up as his enemy charged foolishly at him with his sword.

Dancing to the side, he whipped out his own blade and sent a slice at the agent's neck. Hank watched as his opponent's head fell forward to the ground, while his body fell back.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT IAN (LASER-SWORD)]_

* * *

_Of course, along with their wins came losses, though not as many in number…_

* * *

Unfortunately for the youth, he didn't realize someone had managed to sneak up behind him for a vengeful counterattack until it was too late. He didn't even have time to turn his head in the direction of his assailant before a single shot through his head knocked him out of the game.

* * *

_[AGENT CHRIS ELIMINATED AGENT HANK (PISTOL C-01P)]_

* * *

_...but they always managed to make up for it by showing their colors, which proved to be a good enough retribution._

* * *

As Hank fell to the ground though, he noticed that Eli and Ryder were already on his way to assist them. The sound of laser projectiles making contact with virtual-reality skin and the flash of the board overhead to make space for a new line to text served as more than enough evidence to prove that Hank had been avenged.

* * *

_[AGENT RYDER ELIMINATED AGENT CHRIS (SHOTGUN C-01S)]_

* * *

Shame on him for even doubting his comrades. They had certainly developed a high level of skill in what short amount of time they were given by Grayson.

Eli bent over, defibrillator already in his hands to provide medical assistance . Hank was lucky – his head had managed to somehow stay intact even after a direct hit from an assault rifle.

Feeling himself regain control of his body, Hank slowly stood up, trying to readjust himself after sudden death as he did so.

"All right, rise and shine. Let's get this shit over with." Eli told the others.

Nodding, the three of them broke into a sprint. Shane had just sent them to a new map: the "City". Just like in the "Jungle" map, a big bridge covered the gap that divided two platforms. However, unlike the Jungle, buildings covered the backdrop as a large wall divided the center of the arena to provide some cover for both sides.

The three of them were the last surviving members of the Madness Combat Squadron. Aaron and Hina had been taken down earlier, their bodies too mangled to revive; 574 had died and taken the other squadron's leader with him in the process to give his team a bigger chance for victory. There were only three hostile agents they had left from the enemy squadron, the "Red Alpha Squadron". They weren't too big to handle, at least, compared to Hydra Squadron. But as with most other squadrons, this battle was no cakewalk.

The opposite base was just like their own, since Shane made most of his maps symmetrical. Once they crossed the bridge to the other end, gunfire began to rattle the terrain without any warning. DJ had come from the bottom passageway, and was now fighting three opponents at once.

"Ah, shit!" he shouted, as the realization that he was outnumbered swept over him. Pulling out his assault rifle, he fired and managed to take down one of the hostiles before one of the others fired from his pistol in retaliation.

* * *

_[AGENT DJ ELIMINATED AGENT HAYDEN (ASSAULT RIFLE C-01R)]_

* * *

Swinging back from the momentum of the force and dropping his rifle, in a split-second move, DJ pulled out his own pistol with his still active arm. As of now he did not have the required time and distance for one of his superlethal Power-Fist attacks, so his fate was sealed. But like any other true soldier, he decided to go out with a bang – literally.

He managed to fire two rounds before being shot to pieces by the return fire.

* * *

_[AGENT DENVER ELIMINATED AGENT DJ (SHOTGUN C-01S)]_

* * *

Once the skirmish was over, Hank, Eli and Ryder sped to the two remaining soldiers like the Avengers they were.

Meanwhile, one of the Red Alpha Squadron members fell to his knee, pulling out his defibrillator. His partner, unable to do anything else of interest, turned to watch him.

"You all right, Daniel?"

Daniel nodded. "I'm fine, Denver. How're _you_ holding up?"

"Not a scratch on me," he replied with a small smile, "you took the shots for me."

Daniel laughed. "Haha, yeah. Anyways, enough talk. Let's get Hayden and ambush those bitches from behind. How many are there left anyways? Three? Four?"

Denver shrugged. "Dunno, but I'm thinking more of three. Doesn't matter anyways, we'll kill the fuckers before they can even have time to shit themselves. Why the hell are we worried about them anyways? They're a bunch of inexperienced field agents!"

Daniel nodded in agreement as he walked over to Hayden, putting away his weapon and summoning his defibrillator.

"I mean, come on!" Denver continued, "How did they even manage to beat Hydra Squadron, those guys are like second-best around here! "

A _click_ reached their ears, and Denver turned to face Hank – primarily, the barrel of the gun that the latter was holding to his head.

Hank grinned. Oh this was all too perfect.

_**"Like this."**_ He answered with a smile before pulling the trigger.

* * *

_[AGENT HANK ELIMINATED AGENT DENVER (PISTOL C-01P)]_

* * *

Daniel turned from healing Hayden to face Hank as well, but his fate was sealed seeing as he didn't even have a proper weapon to defend himself with.

Beside Hank, Eli took aim with his assault rifle and released a volley, knocking his target down in a matter of seconds and firing until the clip had been spent.

* * *

_[AGENT ELI ELIMINATED AGENT DANIEL (ASSAULT RIFLE C-01R)]_

* * *

Ryder smirked. "Now _**that's**_ how you do an ambush, bitch."

* * *

_[NO OTHER MEMBERS OF RED ALPHA SQUADRON REMAIN]_

_ [MADNESS COMBAT SQUADRON WINS]_

* * *

Hank stepped out of his chamber and sighed in relief. That was the end of battle number twelve – another victory, and a gain rather than a loss in Credits for him as well as the rest of the team.

He turned his head and saw his friends following suite. It was funny, he never expected them all to get this far. In fact, all these wins were practically miracles in his book.

Once the whole group of trainees from the Madness Combat Squadron had gathered around, 574 approached them, grinning like it was his birthday.

"Well done! Another win for the team! Seems as though you're all now _somewhat_ capable without me having to wipe your asses all over the Holo-Chamber!" he exclaimed happily.

The group stayed silent as the Red Alpha Squadron passed by them with glares. The negativity from the opposing group wasn't what bothered them, oh no. They couldn't give half a fuck about the others if they tried.

Only the realization that they had completed the last battle before they would have to face Grayson's squad.

The enthusiastic smile on 574's face quickly melted away once he began feeling the almost-tangible negative vibe from his pupils. "The fuck's up with you guys? You've won about eighty percent of your battles so far, and I say that's some real good shit considering you've only been practicing for four weeks.

"…That's the point. Our four weeks are up." Hank muttered , breaking the ice.

574 frowned. They were still worried?

"…Listen. You six have given it your all training in that Chamber. I'm sure of it because I was the one that forced you all to push yourselves. Every time I see this group go for its next round, I can see you're all getting stronger. No doubt about it. By now, if you all are still not strong enough to beat the shit out of the Black Snake Squadron, trust me, you'llnever be. Nobody works that hard and fails to acheive their goals."

Somehow, the small speech both reassured the group to some extent and at the same time filled them with worry about the upcoming battle.

Hearing no response, 574 sighed.

"Anyways…I've decided to do something different than what we've been doing non-stop for the past few weeks. Something _besides_ training your asses off in the Holographic Chamber almost 24/7**.**"

Now this had managed to bring up everyone's attention.

"Wait… are you telling us that we're going to actually be doing something other than practice? FOR THE MATCH WE HAVE TOMORROW!?" Aaron shouted in awe.

574 nodded. "That's what I just said, did I not? And for the love of all things pure and innocent could you not shout?"

"But… you can't be serious! We barely have any time left until the big match! Why are we suddenly fraying away from the original plan?" Hina protested.

"I have to admit, she does have a point. Why the sudden change in plans?" Ryder asked in agreement.

"Two reasons," 574 began, "One, is that a day of training won't make any difference. I've taught you all the things I could think up over the past few weeks, so whatever you do tomorrow is the maximum potential you were able to achieve in this short span of time. And two, I can't just train you in the Holo-Chamber for the rest of your time here as trainees. We're miles away from the normal curriculum we were supposed to follow, thanks to Grayson's challenge. So now it's time to make up for that lost training."

Eli twisted his head a bit to the side, almost as curious as everyone else was about 574's next proposition. "Then… what exactly are we going to do then?"

574 grinned, happy to see everyone was now on the same page with him. He swept them all with his gaze as he spoke the next few words.

"We're going to go shoot things. With guns, in case that last part didn't make it clear enough."

Hank's eyes widened at those last two words.

**Shooting range.**

_Oh my God._

_**OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD.**_

**He was going to fire a gun for the first time in his life!**

The others however, were not as exhilarated as Hank was about this idea.

"A shooting range?" DJ questioned, annoyed that **this** was the reason why they wouldn't spend one last time in the Chamber to sharpen up their skills, "Can't that wait for later, **after** we finish our battle with Aidan and the others? It's only just one day, come on. Let's just train the rest of the night away and-"

"I assure you, DJ," 574 interrupted, "There is another solid reason as to why I've decided to make today the special day for firearm training. I ain't gonna tell you why just yet, else it wouldn't be such a surprise."

Ryder frowned. "Well that's just fucking great. Now, we get to lose to the Black Snake Squadron since we're too busy shooting a bunch of guns on the range. And hell, best of all, we don't even know the true reason _why_ we're even doing this. What the hell are we-"

**"…I kinda think it's a great idea."**

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. To their surprise, it was Hank who had spoken, quietly but firmly.

"…I mean, I'd love to try something new rather than the same shit we've been doing over and over again in the Chamber. It would certainly make my day if I could actually shoot a gun for once…" he continued, pooling all of his self-control into concealing his excitement.

Somehow, this had managed to spur a small sense of agreement among the group, as approving mumbles began to surface amongst the six of them.

Ryder on the other hand, wasn't as supportive. He sighed.

"Fine. Do whatever the fuck you want, see what I care. But just remember, if we lose this fight tomorrow, you'll be at _**double**_ fault, Hank."

Hank rolled his eyes. Again with the excuse?

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We wouldn't even be in this mess if I hadn't started that fight a month ago."

"You and Aaron-"

"Just drop it, Ryder."

An awkward silence separated the two as they refused to make eye-contact. 574 grinned.

"Alright. Let's head to the range, then? Wouldn't wanna keep the guns waiting." He proposed.

The silence carried on as 574 led the group out of the Chamber.

* * *

"First rule of firing ranges: **DO **_**NOT**_** PUT YOUR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER UNLESS YOU'RE SHOOTING.** Even if you _**think**_ it's on the safety, you never know whether or not you can shoot yourself, or worse, someone else."

Hank looked around the area 574 had let them to. Once again they were outdoors, but through a different passageway, they ended up in a much different terrain. The environment was a bit barren and rocky since they were still in the deserts of Nevada, but the ten metal pegs lined up horizontally 25 yards away from the squad were the only thing that differentiated with this empty landscape, as well as for the large gun rack that was conveniently left out in the open for all to see. Other than that, there were five to six benches placed nearby, possibly for anyone who planned on spectating those who wished to shoot at the targets.

Hank had to restrain himself from just grabbing one and living the dream.

"Listen up, there are two circumstances the brass will sure as fuck not revive you for: suicide and friendly-fire. We prefer having our agents not act like a bunch of asshats and get themselves killed after holding a gun for ten minutes, so _please_ do me a favor and don't do anything stupid, will you?" 574 spoke, grinning slightly.

This new information only worked to worsen the tension. Silence reigned once again, broken momentarily by Aaron's nervous gulp.

574 nodded several times, assuming everyone had understood. He also noticed Aaron. "Oh, relax, you'll be fine. Let's go meet the tools."

Pulling out a switch from the inside of his vest, he pushed the red button that made the pegs come to life. Almost instantly, holographic projections of targets appeared in the air, fizzing until they had solidified into actual figures.

"Second, keep some distance between yourself and your comrades. Don't want to see your wonderful faces fucked up by some spare shells."

Once that was done, 574 strolled casually to the rack of firearms and rummaged in it for a few seconds. Having found what he was looking for, he turned and tossed each squad member a pistol. Catching his with ease, Hank turned it over in his hands – it had the look of a Beretta 92, but an inspection of the magazine revealed it to be chambered in .22LR rather than the 9mm he was expecting.

Finally, 574 picked out a weapon for himself and turned to the targets.

"And last, but certainly not least-"

574 fired the whole magazine of the M4A1 into the center of the dummy's head, causing it to fall backwards.

_**"…make sure you hit the target."**_

Aaron straightened his back as he aimed for the target in front of him. "All right! Let's fucking do this thing!"

574 frowned. "Hang on, Aaron. You need to learn _how_ to shoot first before-"

"Fuck it! Watch this mothafuckah!"

A loud gunshot split the air as Aaron pulled the trigger. Unlike 574's demonstration, this was totally unexpected, causing everyone except the former to flinch as Aaron almost dropped his gun from recoil. Unfortunately for him, the target remained unscathed from the surprise attack.

"Huh? Where did my bullet go?" Aaron asked seemingly nobody, scratching his head in confusion and looking around.

574 walked over to the cardboard dummy. Sure enough, he found the bullet _**way**_ off from its intended final destination.

"Well," 574 began, "the good news is, you actually managed to hit something other than one of your teammates. The bad news is, it was a rock. A rock five feet away from where you were aiming. Now do you see why I have to show you how to fire first, BEFORE actually doing it?"

Aaron lowered his gun in disappointment. "Tch, fine…"

"Always has to fuck things up…" Ryder mumbled under his breath.

As an argument immediately broke out between the Walker brothers, Hank couldn't help but feel jealousy in Aaron's address for being the first to actually use a firearm in the group. The only thing stopping him from going completely berserk was the fact that his turn would come soon enough.

Getting tired of Aaron's and Ryder's antics, 574 finally intervened.

"Walkers, please. For fuck's sake, we – and I speak for the rest of the squad as well as myself - don't have time for your bullshit. The sooner we practice, the faster I can make you guys shoot rifles with perfect accuracy at targets that are more than a few yards away. So enough bitching, people, and let's get to it."

The statement greatly interested the group, and the bickering stopped to a halt.

"That's better. Now then, we're going to do this step-by-step. Each and every single one of you follow my lead…"

* * *

The next forty-five minutes were spent dealing with posture and angles. Although it seemed tedious to go through the same steps for everyone, 574 had kept his patience in check for the sake of testing out his squad's primary skills.

After the boring ordeal, everybody began to fire at their own targets. 574's tutorial worked like magic: out of ten rounds, each person let loose an average of six rounds that managed to make it somewhat near the center of the targets. The rest were either very close misses, or hits into other parts of the target. Even Aaron had managed to make some bullets hit the center.

Hank on the other hand, just stood there, staring at his comrades work and flinching less and less with every gunshot. It was loud, but somehow, he was getting quickly used to the sound with every bullet.

It wasn't until 574 called out to him that he realized he hadn't even fired a single shot.

"Hank."

Hank snapped back to reality and turned to face his instructor, who had sat himself down on one of the benches and was casually sipping a Capri-Sun as he watched, unflinching, his agents' work.

"Y-yeah?"

"You're the one who was so excited to go here, yet you haven't fired a single round since we've come here. The others have spent four or five mags apiece. Is there anything holding you back? Anything that I should know about?"

Hank blinked. He looked down at his gun and fondled it just a bit more in his hands. It was shiny-black, looked brand new with an itching desire to shoot something attached to it. Hank knew the reason why he wouldn't fire was because of something bothering him. It was just that… his mind was still processing the fact that he was right here, on a firing range with a loaded gun ready to shoot. Had he still been stuck in the orphanage, there was no way he could've actually done this. Not in a million years.

"N-no. I'm just fine." He found himself stuttering.

"Well then, shoot, comrade! The rocks are nice, sure, but that's not what I brought you here for." 574 egged him on with a smile.

The small incident of commotion had caused the rest of the group to stop their individual firing sessions and turn to face Hank.

Hank said nothing to this order as he turned to his front where his target stood. He inhaled deeply. This was going to be his first time shooting a gun, so he was certainly going to try and at least make it count.

Emptying his mind of all other irrelevant ideas, Hank readied himself. Stance and angle. Stance and angle. Now all he had to do was fire. But for some reason, his trigger finger seemed frozen as he contemplated on all the different possible ways as to how he could possibly screw this moment up.

"JUST SHOOT, GODDAMNIT!" DJ roared from the sidelines in impatience.

Shocked from the sudden outburst, Hank accidently pulled the trigger, yet kept his stand as the shot rang through the air and embedded itself into its designated target.

…The feeling of that first shot…

…Oh, God…

…It wasn't just good…

_**...**__It was better than he could have ever imagined__**…**_

Confidence washed over him – this is what he did best. Hank continued to fire, jerking slightly from the recoil of each shot yet recovering from each one in less than a second and pulling the trigger again. It was only when his weapon clicked empty that he lowered the barrel to admire his handiwork.

One shot in the neck, the rest of them peppering the chest area.

Hank turned to 574 optimistically, oblivious to his teammates' gaping expressions as he pressed a button on the side to eject the mag expertly and let it drop to the floor. Watching him do so, 574 couldn't resist a chuckle.

_"This kid really is something else…"_ the agent thought to himself.

Clasping his hands to get everyone's attention, he continued. "All right, you lot! Now that you've gotten used to handling a gun, it's time we kick it up a notch. We're gonna shoot more than just some petty .22's for the next couple of hours, so you better step up your game!"

* * *

After the hours of seemingly-endless training had passed, Hank had found himself to be the last of his squad on the range. Once 574 was satisfied with the group's progress, he had given them the option of resting for the remainder of the day in order to prepare for the next day's battle. Hank, on the other hand, decided to stick around a while longer at the range just because he was having the time of his life unlike his squadmates: this was what he lived for, yet for them it was just a chore. The only other person besides himself in the range was 574. However, he seemed to have zoned out as he sat on a nearby bench, staring into the distance instead of his gradually-progressing trainee.

Hank lined up his firearm in front of him once more. He had managed to promote himself all the way to a Glock, and knew that just a bit more practice would let him master this weapon as well.

Closing one eye and firmly concentrating with the open one, he fired the last few bullets he had left in his clip. Thanks to recoil, it wasn't until he finally settled down that he realized his results. He broke into a wide smile of pride and accomplishment.

**Bullseye****,**** straight into the head.**

Once again, Hank turned to 574 with a smirk to see what he believed would be a surprised face gaping back at him. Instead, he frowned as he saw 574 was still spaced out in that small imaginary world he had trapped himself in almost half an hour ago.

"Hello? Earth to 574!" Hank shouted out.

574 slowly turned his head to the teen.

"Hm?"

Hank's previous grin slid back onto his face after he'd gained his teacher's attention.

"Check this shit out! Five bullets, all smack in the center!" He gleefully informed his teacher, one hand pointing in the direction of the target.

Silent, 574 turned to where his student desperately referred to, and yet his bored, cold expression remained unchanged. He knew that Hank's progress was amazing, if not, remarkable, and the lad had every right to be bragging. But… he didn't seem to be in the mood for appraisal at the moment.

"…Ah. Excellent work comrade, you've certainly proven yourself to be good with that one as well." 574 replied, emotionless – a very rare occurrence.

The frown on Hank's face returned as he dropped his pistol beside him. That's it? No "WOW, THAT WAS FUCKING AMAZING, YOU'RE A FREAKING GENIUS!"? Why out of all the days he could've stayed quiet, 574 chose today? Especially when Hank was showing such flying colors?

Surprised yet a bit worried, Hank left his post in front of the target and walked over to his mentor. Oddly enough, 574 said nothing in reply to his movement, or even acknowledged his nearing presence.

He was still so… _spaced out._

By the time Hank was standing right in front of 574, he had no idea what to do. 574 was still staring down at the ground in deep thought.

Taking a few seconds to build the courage to say something, Hank began.

"Um... may I?"

574 looked up, and understood Hank's question almost immediately.

"Come. Sit, sit. Nobody's here to stop you." 574 nodded towards the bench.

Nodding, Hank sat down next to 574. This time though, instead of hesitating, Hank asked the first and foremost thing that came to his mind.

"Is something wrong, 574?"

574 raised his head, now once again looking out at the deep horizon of the desert and the sky along with it.

"Oh…just nothing much. Today's sort of a big day, for me. That's all." 574 finally replied, voice melancholy.

Hank scratched the back of his head as he turned around for a split-second. So there was something on 574's mind. But…what could possibly bother someone like _**him**_, to the point where he just stopped acting like himself altogether?

Hank inhaled, hoping that the extra air could somehow ease the tension around the two of them.

It didn't.

"Do you… wanna talk about it?" Hank questioned, curious as Hell.

A long moment of silence hung after this was said. Feeling that he made the wrong choice asking, Hank stood up, ready to leave and let 574 have some alone time.

But before he could even make one step in the other direction, 574's voice had stopped him.

"Hank."

Hank jumped a bit at the mention of his name. He turned around and placed his hands in his pockets to avoid looking like some kind of nervous kid. Unfortunately, he was too giddy at the moment to actually make the impression.

"Y-yeah?"

"I got a question for you. Define 'life.'"

Hank blinked. Huh? Why would 574 ask something like that, and so suddenly?

The teen turned his head to the ground, staring at the rocks for some kind of inspiration. What with the fact that 574 was staring at Hank with all seriousness, the mentor really wasn't kidding around.

Hank crossed his arms as he decided it was best to at least say something back, rather than stand silent like some kind of statue. "Well… life, I guess…is _**precious**_. It's something that you can't have a second chance on, like in a videogame. And… I suppose, you just gotta live it through, even if shit gets real rough."

574 glanced back at the ground, processing this information into his head. During this brief moment of time, Hank couldn't help but realize that as he was trying to define probably the most general topic ever, Julia kept coming back into his head.

His train of thought though, was broken before he could speculate on what his head was coming up with.

"…If life is so…'precious', as you say it is…then what makes it precious? What makes life worth living?" 574 continued.

Hank sighed as he decided it was best to sit down once again. Maybe he could come up with better answers that way? Well, either way, this didn't change the fact that Julia's face kept popping back up in his head.

_But for some reason, just thinking about her gave him a response._

"A** purpose**," Hank answered, "…something to strive for. If you have a reason to live, then you will keep living, as long as you know this purpose hasn't died out. It's something everyone has, everyone has definition after all. It's something given at birth."

Hank didn't notice it because he was staring in the same direction as 574, but as he spoke the last three words 574 stiffened noticeably.

**Given at birth.**

"…So you're saying that all people have purpose, people who were born because of the deity…what people nowadays call 'God' has given them it?" 574 tried to confirm with his pupil.

Hank nodded slowly and turned to meet 574 eye-to-eye.

"…Yeah…yeah. I think that's it."

574 made a deep exhale, rubbing his face with his right hand. This action was obviously a result of disappointment and stress, which confused Hank.

Did 574 not get the answer he was looking for?

574 straightened out his back, looking at the sun which was now disappearing, what with the day getting old.

"Okay. So what if a person was not born through normal means? What if you were born, not as by an act of 'God', but instead an act of **humans?** **An experiment, **let's say, in more understandable terms?"

Hank raised an eyebrow. What? What exactly was 574 trying to go for?

"Uh… I… I don't… I don't know. But… an experimental human… I mean… is technically a person too right? So I guess-"

"Don't _**guess**_, Hank," 574 sharply cut him off, "…because this isn't a _**guessing**_ game. If you now believe what you're saying, then you're just contradicting your previous statements. A human with a purpose must be someone who is born through the intention of **your** God, correct? So what I'm asking is,, what if someone was created by a method other than this? Does this mean their purpose is taken away from them?"

Hank opened his mouth, but quickly shut it as no answer seemed to come out. The fact that 574 was playing this **"What if…?"** game, was absolutely annoying, if not, maddening to the teen who seemed to be continuously questioned like some type of lying criminal.

"Just what are you trying to get at!?" Hank suddenly shouted, irked off at the fact that 574 was making things so much more confusing to him, "What the fuck are you talking about!? Why the Hell are we even having this stupid conversation anyways!? I already gave you my answer, so why are twisting it around like I'm not telling the truth!?"

Silence stung the air as Hank found himself breathing heavily and standing up on his feet. He must've jolted out of his seat after getting so worked up. Hank figured that he must've overreacted, but before he could apologize for his outburst, he heard something from 574 that sounded a lot like…_**chuckling?**_

The chuckling quickly evolved into maniacal laughter, which had managed to make Hank quite a bit more nervous than he already was. Had his teacher lost his mind?

Almost as abruptly as this laughing had started, it suddenly stopped. Then, with a smirk, 574 looked up into the sky.

"See, Hank, I'm not exactly human – at least, not in the way that most people see humans. I'm a bit of an exception."

Hank was a bit taken aback. Wait…what did he mean by that? Was he being metaphorical? Well… it didn't sound like he was.

"…Then… then what are you?" Hank asked. Playing along seemed like the logical choice right now.

574's grin

"…Well, the best definition would probably bea clone – kinda like the ones you see in _Star Wars__**.**_"

Hank felt his jaw sag slightly, but quickly closed his mouth as he made a small yet uncertain laugh.

"Pfft, that's a good one 574! You really got me there! For a second, I actually thought-"

**"You really think I'm fucking with you right now, don't you?"**

Hank stopped his hysterics, realizing that 574 wasn't amused by his pupil's reaction by the slightest.

"You really think that I would actually ask you so much of that bullshit just for a good laugh? If you seriously believe I like fucking around with people that much, then you haven't learned jack _shit _about me after spending four weeks with me.

Hank gulped at the sincerity behind 574's tone. Holy fuck, he was serious.

574 turned away, upset by the fact that he had revealed what believed to be one of his biggest secrets, and to be laughed at.

Hank bit his lip and lowered his eyes back to the ground. He rubbed his right arm with his left, a bit embarrassed that he doubted 574 after giving him such invaluable information.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Hank said in a small whisper.

574 sighed. "… Don't be, Hank. I don't blame you, even I would've called bullshit on that if I didn't know the truth."

Hank nodded curtly. Well, at least 574 wasn't pissed at him, but he knew that he couldn't just leave the conversation like this. Not after everything he'd just said and heard.

"Well, I mean, everything happens for a reason, right? I'm sure that God let this happen, even for a-"

"I do not believe in _**your**_ God. Because, as you explained before, there is no purpose as to why I should believe in one. There is no seat in _**your**_ Heaven or _**your**_ Hell for me. Because that seat was already taken by my original." 574 interrupted.

Hank narrowed his eyes in speculation. Wait a minute… what **did** happen to the original 574?

"… If you don't mind me asking, what _did_ happen to the original you?" Hank spoke cautiously.

574 shook his head. "… Mark One me went through some… _complications…_ before they made Mark 2 me, which is _me_. Let's leave it at that."

"Wait…who exactly are…_they?_"

More silence. Then, 574 grinned once again.

"**The A.A.H.W.**"

Hank breathed in deeply, as his level of shock had only proven to go higher.

"Holy shit…" he muttered in disbelief.

"A lot to take in for one day, isn't it?" 574 spoke.

Hank just placed one hand in his head in awe. "What… why… how?"

"…It's best if we leave certain details to rest. For now, at any rate."

Realizing he was probing a bit too far in 574's personal history, Hank had no choice but agree. "… Yeah. I guess."

574 nodded slightly, evidently appreciative of the fact that Hank could respect his personal affairs. Hank on the other hand, sighed, as he finally pieced the whole puzzle together.

"…So let me guess. This 'special' day…**today**…is the day-"

_**"**_…I was cloned, da_**."**_ 574 finished for Hank, his voice surprisingly calm.

More tense silence. Eventually, 574 clasped his hands as he caught Hank's attention.

"Well! Storytime's over. Sun's already setting, so curfew must be in order by now. Let us make our leave. Do me a favor, put your gun back on the rack and press the blue button right there, will you?"

Hank gazed up at where 574 was looking. Sure enough, the sky was rapidly turning darker.

"…Alright." Hank merely replied.

574 nodded. "Thanks."

As 574 turned around though to return back into shelter, Hank stared down at the ground. He knew he had to say something.

And that's exactly what he did.

**"…I think you have a purpose****,**** 574."**

The mentor stopped in his tracks.

"… I mean, I don't think you realize it, but your purpose is probably to train us. Without you, I don't think I would've gotten this far. Hell I don't think I would even be alive right now if you haven't come along. So yeah… I think you really are important." Hank finished.

574 said nothing to this. Unfortunately, his back was turned on Hank, so the trainee couldn't see what effect his words had on the man. But he could at least tell he was thinking. Thinking really hard about it.

Finally, 574 raised his head, turning to the sunset.

"Hank."

"Yeah?"

574 turned his head towards Hank, enough to show him the first honest smile he'd see him make.

"… **You're gonna go places, kid. I know you will."**

For some reason, along with a strange wave of warmth, Hank felt too choked up to actually say anything back. Almost as if he was expecting this reaction, 574 walked off in silence.

By the time the door had closed behind his teacher, Hank flinched as he removed himself from his odd trance. Although he knew 574 couldn't hear him by now, he replied.

"…_**Thanks…"**_

After standing as if rooted to the spot for a few seconds, 574's orders replayed back into his head. Hank walked over to where he originally left his empty .22, picked it up, placed it on the rack, and pressed the small blue button beside it. The rack descended down to the ground, possibly to some kind of hidden chamber where they would be readied for the next group, and the targets had vanished almost as if by magic, leaving only the metal pegs behind.

Once these actions were completed, Hank walked back through the same hidden doorway 574 went through. But before he did, he glanced back up at the orange-golden sky.

_It really was beautiful…_

As he turned away, Hank kept a mental image of that scenery. For some reason, he couldn't help but think that things were somehow still going to change thanks to this war.

…_**Including that sky…**_

* * *

A/N: Finally! This chapter literally took me a MONTH to work out! I know it's summer break and I should've done this WAAAYYYYYY sooner, but all I can say (yet again) is that I apologize! Japan has really distracted me so far, so yeah. ^^;

As of now though, updates will come sooner. At least for the next few chapters. I've got them mostly planned out, so it should be all good. Right now, I'm going to go off and continue Never Forget, since I'm taking turns writing chapters for that story and here.

Well then, let's get to what most of you are waiting for here in the Author's Note, shall we?

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_**Reviewers' Credits:**_(I seriously forgot if the apostrophe goes before or after the "s" on Reviewers…)

**DodgeStreaker:** Hehe, thanks for the review Dodge; I actually also owe you another one for helping me figure that my story needed a bit more progression rather than the day-by-day approach. I'm glad you're still following this story from the beginning; it's really motivating. ^^

And rest assured; I'm having a great time here in Japan. It's awesome to go away from the city for once and just take in all the nature around you…minus the mosquitoes. Fuck those little shits.

Thanks anyways! :D

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**Kagami:** KAGAAAAAMIIIIIII! I'm so happy to see you back here again! And alright; let's go through each of your reviews for every chapter one-by-one.

Chapter 19: Hehe, well, all I can say is that you'll be shocked as to how things will unroll. I don't want to say more to avoid spoilers, but yeah man. You're getting warmer. ^^

Chapter 20: Aye. I always visualized Eli as a tactics person since he seems to be more like a thinker rather than a talker. Sadly, his tactics aren't exactly foolproof in the Chamber, since it's a bit too alternate-reality for strategies that think inside the box. As for the locker thing, I honestly didn't expect anyone to (XD), since it was too random of a number to tell. The number on the locker was the date that Marshmellow Madness was released (February 19th, 2002). So Feb. 19th, 2002 = 21902. :P

Oh and thanks! And hopefully another good 20 chapters or so to come! ^^

Chapter 21: Glad to see you enjoyed the fight! The bargain with 574 was a last-minute idea though on my part, since I really wanted to see Hank in a mission with the squad as well. Another chapter will be coming shortly, so stay tuned for that as well!

And also, thanks! Japan really is great (but the bugs and heat in the summer are fucking insane). And yeah; someday I hope you and your friend get here. It's a great place to spend your vacation in. ;)

P.S. Thanks! I'm so glad I'm done with this year's regents! ^^

P.S.S. Awesome bro! Glad to see you passed too! :D

Thanks for the review, and Sacrom thanks you for the compliment. :)

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_**The Dark Madness Dragon:**_ Hehe, yeah. A nice little thing I'm implementing in the system. Gotta fiddle with some things here and there to make it more interesting, you know?

Thanks for the review! ^^

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_**CowBow50:**_ Heh, aye. As of now the team relies on 574 like a parent, but of course, things will change. **A lot of things.**

Hank huh…? If I was him, maybe pills. Just because sharing a room with Nikolai can limit certain goodies for him to put in his quarters. Good question though. :)

Lol, sure will. And the next chapter is going to be filled with that; I assure you. I'm certainly going to have to use up a bit of time to think it out…

Thanks man for the review, and best of luck on your animations. I can't wait to see them. :D

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_**O.C. Credits:**_

_**Agent 574/Mikhail Nikitin:**_** by Sacrom574**

_**DJ Anderson**_**: by The Dark Madness Dragon**

_**Hina and Eli: **_**by Kagami**

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I think that's it. Yeah, but thank you all! Both reviewers and readers! Your support is probably one of the very few things that keep me going with my stories. :)

I'm going to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Hopefully, Hank's Legacy will be done by the end of summer break WITHOUT rushing it and skipping too many things. After all; I do have a ton of other stories to plan out too ya know. ;)

Anyways, I think that's enough talking for now. Let's upload this son of a bitch and get started on the next few chapters of my stories!

Thank you all for being so awfully patient, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hank's Legacy!

Later!

~Spirit9871


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